Published by Concealed Carry Academy, LLC P.O. Box 450, Oakton, VA 22124 Printed in the U.S.A. First Printing January 2012 Copyright © Jason R. Hanson, Concealed Carry Academy, LLC, 2012 All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, without the prior written permission of both the copyright own er and the publisher of this book. For information regarding special discounts for bulk purchases, please call 801-512-2545 or fax 888-251-0284. Important Publishers Note
This publication is designed to provide accurate acc urate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. If legal advice or any type of assistance is needed, please seek the services of a competent professional. Firearms are potentially dangerous and should be handled responsibly by all individuals. This book, produced by the Concealed Carry Academy, LLC, is for informational purposes only. All technical information, instruction, and advice, reflect the beliefs of the Concealed Carry Academy, LLC and are intended as informational only. This book is not intended to serve as a replacement for professional instruction. By reading this book you understand firearms are potentially dangerous and you assume all risks if you choose to handle a firearm. You agree to indemnify, and hold harmless the Concealed Carry Academy, LLC and Jason R. Hanson from any and all such claims and damages as a result of reading this book, which is for informational purposes only. All statements of fact, opinion, or analysis expressed are those of the author and they do not reflect the official positions or views of the CIA or any other U.S. Government agency. Nothing in the contents should be construed as asserting or implying U.S. Government authentication of information or Agency endorsement of the author’s views. This material has been reviewed by the CIA to prevent the disclosure of classified information.
Published by Concealed Carry Academy, LLC P.O. Box 450, Oakton, VA 22124 Printed in the U.S.A. First Printing January 2012 Copyright © Jason R. Hanson, Concealed Carry Academy, LLC, 2012 All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, without the prior written permission of both the copyright own er and the publisher of this book. For information regarding special discounts for bulk purchases, please call 801-512-2545 or fax 888-251-0284. Important Publishers Note
This publication is designed to provide accurate acc urate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. If legal advice or any type of assistance is needed, please seek the services of a competent professional. Firearms are potentially dangerous and should be handled responsibly by all individuals. This book, produced by the Concealed Carry Academy, LLC, is for informational purposes only. All technical information, instruction, and advice, reflect the beliefs of the Concealed Carry Academy, LLC and are intended as informational only. This book is not intended to serve as a replacement for professional instruction. By reading this book you understand firearms are potentially dangerous and you assume all risks if you choose to handle a firearm. You agree to indemnify, and hold harmless the Concealed Carry Academy, LLC and Jason R. Hanson from any and all such claims and damages as a result of reading this book, which is for informational purposes only. All statements of fact, opinion, or analysis expressed are those of the author and they do not reflect the official positions or views of the CIA or any other U.S. Government agency. Nothing in the contents should be construed as asserting or implying U.S. Government authentication of information or Agency endorsement of the author’s views. This material has been reviewed by the CIA to prevent the disclosure of classified information.
This book is dedicated to the American citizen who values their life enough to want to protect it. To my mother, who let me have BB guns and air pistols growing up, as long as I only shot them when she was home. Of course, this meant the guns often got confiscated when she’d pull in the driveway from doing errands and see me sprinting back to the house to put them away. To my incredible wife Amanda who I will never be able to thank enough for the role she’s played in the Concealed Carry Academy. She’s an organizational wizard… And I am not.
The author standing in front of the CIA Seal in the Original Headquarters Building
CIA Memorial Wall
Office of Strategic Services Memorial
Here’s proof of what you can expect from this book… “I thoroughly enjoyed the Ultimate Concealed Carry Experience. Jason was an excellent instructor, mixing humor, real life experience, stories, and practical tips with the required training topics. He answered all of our questions, discussed his personal concealed carry preferences, and covered both Utah and Virginia concealed carry laws and requirements. His staff was very professional and ensured we had fingerprint cards and personal photographs to complete our Utah concealed carry applications. I learned a great deal and now will pursue additional training with the Concealed Carry Academy. Well done!” ~ Greg Kuper, Houston, TX
“Excellent classroom presentation, interspersed with interesting video clips. Jason has a real knack for getting the message across while paying close attention to time and the myriad admin details that are so important to complete all the paperwork and presentations in the allotted time. I would say that Jason is at the top of his game. He is an engaging instructor and his classes are highly recommended.” ~ Brian Hagan, Pasadena, MD
"Before I took a class at the Concealed Carry Academy, my experience with guns was limited. I knew only how to use the rifles and shotguns that belonged to my father, and had never even seen a handgun. But Jason Hanson taught the class in a way that was clear, yet went into every important detail, from legal issues, to posture and grip, to holsters, to even discussing technical aspects of handguns, in a way that is approachable to a first-timer. If you could only take one class, or have been hesitating to take the first step, the Concealed Carry Academy is the best place to go.” ~ Rick Leiner, Fairfax, VA
Jason, I am really thankful that you put on this special class for those who attended. Your expertise in the subject and diligent preparation and instructions definitely made an impact on me and will stick with me throughout my life. You made the class very enjoyable… and had the ability to explain key concepts very simplistically while
never undermining the importance they hold. Thank you again for this great opportunity and hope to keep in touch!” ~Carey Riley, Alexandria, VA “Hi Jason, I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated the Ultimate Concealed Carry class this weekend. I drove 2 1/2 hours from Suffolk to take the class… I have already talked my dad into signing up for the next available class. The goodie bag was a plus, especially the CD, which provides a good review of the safety guidelines and best practices in regards to personal safety/security. Thanks again!” ~Laura Hollingsworth, Alpine, UT
I’m writing to thank you for the great class you gave on Saturday. I think that this class would benefit everyone (male and female, young and old) and I believe the more people you can teach, the better. I learned some very valuable things in the class and am thrilled to feel more comfortable about protecting my family. I feel much more comfortable about what kind of gun to purchase now; I can’t wait to go out and try a few before making my purchase. Thanks again for the valuable information!!! ~Jessica Bliss, Charlestown, WV
"I highly recommend the Ultimate Concealed Carry Experience for either the beginner or advanced firearms enthusiast. As a former U.S. Army Ranger, I have sat through hundreds of hours of firearms training, yet I still gained a tremendous amount from this course. This is not a boring class taught from a book. Jason uses video examples and real life experiences to teach the fundamentals of how to protect your family and home. The time flew by! So whether you have never touched a gun before or are looking for a refresher course, you will get a l ot out of this class. I have already recommended the Ultimate Concealed Carry Experience to several of my friends and family members." ~ Scott Dennis, Portland, OR
"I have been teaching in the public school system for 28 years, so I think I know what to look for in a good teacher. The Ultimate Concealed Carry permit course was well organized. Jason was very knowledgeable about the subject matter and he made all of the students feel comfortable in the class. I highly recommend this class to all who may be interested in carrying a concealed handgun." ~Adam Roegner, Fort Washington, MD
I had really high expectations leading up to this class. Mostly because of the credentials that Jason Hanson the instructor has achieved. I'm happy to report that The Concealed Carry Class lived up to all of my expectations and more. The class was professional, fun and informative. Furthermore, this is a great class for women of all ages. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that of the 30 or so people in the class almost half of them were women.
Jason covered all kinds of firearm safety rules, federal and state firearm laws and situational awareness issues. So even if you never carry, you'll be better prepared for the unexpected. So I highly recommend this class. ~Kelly Lodi, York, PA
I just attended Jason's Ultimate Concealed Carry Experience class and I highly recommend his class to anyone thinking about obtaining a concealed weapons permit. Jason's class was detailed and informative, his ability to keep his students engaged with his lively personality, rich content and examples of what you can and can't do, should and shouldn't do really help one ingest all the content. Have a question but are afraid to ask during class? Not a problem, Jason is available after class for just that purpose! Truly a fantastic experience!” ~Chip Bateman, Miami, FL
Unlike other seminars that promise to make you an expert when your done with their class, Jason delivers a great introduction and awareness of personal security and defense. The class was very friendly and the information was not too much. I look forward to learning more with the Concealed Carry Academy . Everyone should take this course.
~Marshall Karlovich, Draper, UT
I really enjoyed attending the Concealed Carry Experience class this past weekend. I have never owned a firearm, nor have I ever even held a handgun before, however, living on my own has prompted me to really think about purchasing one and learning how to use one appropriately in case of an eme rgency. After taking the class, it has reaffirmed my decision to go ahead and purchase a handgun and practice using it so I can defend myself in case I'm ever in a compromising position. I'm glad that I took the class and have definitely told a lot of my friends
about it! ~Lindy Potter, Spanish Fork, UT
Jason, I just attended your Concealed Weapons class last night and I just wanted to let you know that I thought it was spectacular. I felt the information provided was both useful and easy to follow. I look forward to
attending more of your seminars in the future. ~Tony Teagle, St. George, UT
I enjoyed your class and will more than likely sign up for a shooting class in the near future. The family and the military training I have had over the last 30 years were good but not as practical as what you gave our class.
~Kris Davidson, Woodbridge, VA
I have been a gun owner for about seven years now. But regardless, I learned so much valuable information and certainly many more things to consider that I hadn’t thought of before now. The good advice, sound
techniques and knowledge of the law will help me to become a responsible permit holder that will hopefully keep me safe. Thank you again. ~Holly Sanders, San Diego, CA
My wife and I attended the Concealed Carry Academy class together last weekend. Jason's expertise and training have given us an advantage over the criminal and a way to protect ourselves should we ever need to. The plethora of information that was shared in clas s was also given to us in DVD form so we can now digest i t slowly and take it all in. Thank you Jason. ~Rob Michaels, Henderson, NV
Loved this class, best money I've spent in quite some time. Not only was the class very informative, it was
presented in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. No "this is the way it must be done so don't question me" tactics. Questions were encouraged and answered in an understandable way. I'd recommend this class to gun owners, people thinking of buying a gun, or those just interested in personal and home safety. I've already recommended it to several of my friends who will probably sign up when next offered. Great class, great instructor.
~Pat Conklin, Centreville, VA
Concealed Carry Opportunities -
Ultimate Concealed Carry Experience CCA Defensive Pistol CCA Advanced Defensive Pistol Pocket Pistol Secrets Spy Escape and Evasion
For complete details on these courses and others, visit www.UltimateConceal.com.
Table of Contents Chapter 1 How the CIA and My Top Secret Security Clearance Could Help Save Your Life ….…….....13 Chapter 2 Why You Should Always E&E and Use Your Gun as a Tool of Last Resort ..……………….16 Chapter 3 The Single Most Important Factor of Concealed Carry Tradecraft ………………………...…18 Chapter 4 How to Protect Your Guns From a Bag Job……………………………………………………24 Chapter 5 What the Tradecraft of Flaps and Seals Has to do With Choosing the Right Gun for You…....27 Chapter 6 Why Your Semi-Auto Could Get You Black-Flagged ……………………………………...…32 Chapter 7 Training at the Farm… Shooting… Getting Shot……………………….………………...…...37 Chapter 8 Since You’re Operating Naked, You Better Choose This Wisely……..…….……….………..47 Chapter 9 You Can’t Be Cheap If You Want to Become a Covert Action Agent………..………….…...50 Chapter 10 If You Carry Concealed, Then You Need the Following Pocket Litter .………..………….....68 Chapter 11 How Not to Get Burnt When Using Deadly Force………………………………..…………...71 Chapter 12 Sometimes I’d Rather Take an L-Pill Than Deal With a Lawyer……………………………...76
Chapter 13 For Your Eyes Only: How to Legally Handle the Aftermath of a Shooting …….….………..78 Chapter 14 How to Emotionally Handle a Wet Affair………………………………………..….……….81 Chapter 15 Since You’re Not an Agent of Influence, This Will Keep You Out of Jail .…………..……..84 Chapter 16 Why These Dirty Tricks Could Land You in Jail for the Next 5-10 Years ……….…………97 Chapter 17 How to Decide if This Backstop is Appropriate for You ………………….……….…......….90 Chapter 18 The Secret of Making Sure You See Your Target at Night …………………....……..………94 Chapter 19 Why This Type of Practice Will Help You Avoid ICBM …………………………………..103 Chapter 20 How to Avoid Becoming a Victim of Executive Action ……………………….…………...106 Chapter 21 Moscow Rules ……………………………………….……………………………….……..118 Chapter 22 Counterintelligence and the #1 Secret I Learned at the Agency ……………...….…………122 . Chapter 23 Debriefing……….……………………………………….……………………….………….125 Bonus #1: How to Safely Clear Your Home When You Think There’s an Intruder ….……....……127 Bonus #2: Letter to My (Unborn) Daughter….……………………………………………..……….133 Free Gift…………………………………………………………………………………….……….137 How to become a certified Concealed Carry Academy instructor and run your own firearms training business……………………………………………………………………………………………....139
How the CIA and my Top Secret Security Clearance Could Help Save Your Life Top Secret Security Clearance: The highest security level that is publicly disclosed. Information that would cause grave damage to national security if disclosed to the public.
It was freezing outside… I was training at The Farm and there were about six inches of snow on the ground. My hands were so numb I could barely feel the rounds in my hand as I loaded my gun for the next shooting drill. Even though it was cold as could be, I successfully took out all the “threats” on the next drill and then went back into the training building to warm up for a few minutes. Over the next several years, I would spend countless hours training, and be fortunate enough to learn how to shoot from some of the best in the business: Other CIA officers and ex-Navy SEALs. After all, to become the best, you must learn from the best, work with the best, and surround yourself with the best. It's that simple. Thankfully, in the instances in my life when I had to put this training to the test, and where I almost had to use a firearm to protect myself, the presentation of the firearm alone solved the problem and I didn’t have to pull the trigger (which is often the result in self-defense situations.) Of course, during those instances I was extremely thankful to have the training, knowledge and ability to protect myself, and I want to pass along that knowledge to you in the following pages. Also, it doesn’t matter if you’ve never picked up a gun in your life, or if you’ve been shooting 30 years or more. There’s something in here for everyone. Plus, anyone serious about personal protection knows that you never stop learning and refreshing your memory. That’s why I’m constantly attending training schools myself and reading everything I can get my hands on that’s firearms and personal protection related. I also realize you might not carry a gun 24/7 and that you might have a gun mostly for home defense purposes. However, I think every American should have their concealed firearms permit, even if they don’t plan to carry a gun. Why? Because there may come a time in your life when all of the
sudden you have a crazy ex-boyfriend who’s now trying to kill you. Or maybe you just went through a bitter divorce and now your ex-wife is out to get you. If you have your concealed firearms permit, then at least you have the option to carry a gun if that type of situation arises in your life. In other words, the concealed firearms permit is an important insurance policy that I believe all of us need in case the day comes when it’s critical to protect yourself. For instance, in a rather ironic story, a woman living in Indiana was a factory worker who had to travel through a rough neighborhood to get to work. Her boyfriend at the time encouraged her to get her concealed firearms permit and a gun so she could have it in the car with her while driving to work. She ended up purchasing two guns and carried them in her car with her each day and would bring them inside at night. One day, the woman found out her boyfriend was cheating on her so she tried to end the relationship. He became violent, gave her a black eye and beat her head into a wall. Unfortunately, after this incident the woman continued to date the man on and off again for several months. Eventually, she decided to finally end the relationship, but the man wouldn't allow her to do this. He showed up at her house one evening, forced his way inside and was going after this woman’s daughter, which gave her time to get her gun and shoot the man with the same gun he helped her buy. Neither the woman nor her daughter was injured and her ex-boyfriend ended up going to jail. In North Carolina, a woman walking to her car at 6:00 in the morning was abducted by two men. She was repeatedly raped and then stabbed to death. This horrible incident happened just a few blocks from where a woman I’ll call “Anne” was working for a publishing company. Anne decided to get a gun because she didn’t work in the best area of town and because only one of the murderers ever ended up getting caught. When she would leave her work in the evening she would conceal the gun under her arm in case she ever needed to use it. One evening, Anne walked out of her office building and noticed there were only two cars left in the parking lot. Her car and a vehicle she didn’t recognize. She began walking towards her car when a man immediately stepped out of the other vehicle and began staring at her. As Anne says, "He never said anything. He never said a word to me. He didn't behave as though he were drunk. And I've not been around enough people who were drugged to really know about that, but he was not acting crazy." The man started walking straight at Anne, still without saying a word. She tried to escape, but the parking lot was in an alley and she had nowhere to go. With the man closing distance on her and with her back up against a wall she says, “I dropped ... everything but the gun. My keys, I dropped. My purse came off ... I dropped everything! I had a mess around me. And it felt like everything fell in slow motion. I have never been that scared before or since. I had the gun ... I remember I had a very firm grip on it, and I brought it up. And as soon as he saw the gun, and saw the look on my face, he stopped. He immediately froze. He did not keep coming. He still did not say anything.” The man finally ran off, leaving his car in the parking lot and Anne was unharmed. "My mind was still not working really right, and I was almost in tears. It was relief that I was still alive, that I was not hurt, and that I didn't have to shoot the guy. I was really glad that I didn't have to shoot him. I hope I never have to shoot anybody, I really do! I know from my experience that I will, if I have to. It may make me sick for a while, but I'd rather be sick, and face the legal consequences, than to end up the way that newspaper woman did. I like my life, and I'm willing to fight for it. ... " I could go on and on, including telling you about my own run in with the mafia, but I'll save that story for if you and I ever meet in person. But my point is, you never know what twists and turns your life is going to take and how one day you may end up in a situation where your concealed firearms permit and your gun save your life.
Better yet, I’m also a firm believer in having not just one concealed carry permit, but at least two. Right now, for instance, I have my Utah and Virginia permits. The reason for two is because different permits provide coverage for different states. For example, Virginia has reciprocity with Florida and Utah does not. (They don’t have reciprocity for non-resident permits.) I used to travel to Florida often, so I definitely needed a permit that would allow me to carry in Florida. Also, Utah has reciprocity with both Alabama and Georgia and Virginia does not. Another reason I believe you should have multiple permits is because as I mentioned a minute ago, it’s kind of like insurance. In addition to life's "surprises," you never know what foolish politicians are going to do even in gun friendly states like Virginia and Utah. So if something happens where one permit loses coverage on a lot of states, or becomes much more difficult to obtain, at least I have my “back up” permit. Plus, not only do you have to worry about the state that issues your permit, you have to worry about all the states that grant it reciprocity. Reciprocity coverage is always changing when new politicians get elected or when states get in a “urinating” contest over a totally non-gun related topic and decide to no longer recognize each other’s permits. Lastly, a friend of mine probably put it best when he told me that he carries multiple credit cards such as Visa, American Express and Mastercard to have “back up” cards and other options. This is how he feels about carrying multiple permits - he wants several options - and I couldn’t agree with him more. Another great reason to get multiple permits is in case you accidentally let one expire, then at least you have a valid permit to carry in the meantime. But before you get your permit, or before you carry a gun, there's a lot you need to know to make sure that you not only survive a deadly force encounter, but you also survive the legal aftermath. So let me share with you the knowledge that I gained from the Agency to hopefully help you accomplish this...
Why You Should Always E&E and Use Your Gun as a Tool of Last Resort E&E: Evade and Escape. Currently, I live in the state of Virginia and do not like going into the neighboring state of Maryland. It’s virtually impossible to get a concealed firearms permit unless you c an prove that someone has tried to kill you or that you’re in fear for your life or serious bodily injury. However, as of this writing, my wife is in law school at the University of Baltimore. If you’ve never been to Baltimore before, you’re not missing much. The majority of the city is a dump and the only place you’d ever want to go is to the Inner Harbor. With that being said, I drive my wife to school often because I don’t want her parking far away from school and having to walk several blocks to class. Now that I’m spending a lot more time in Baltimore, I’ve gotten to know a few people and have made a few acquaintances. The other day one of these acquaintances called me and said “Jason I have to tell you this story of what happened to me.” For the sake of the story we’ll call the guy “Joe.” Joe was sitting in his apartment in inner city Baltimore when he decided he was hungry and really wanted a Butter Finger. Joe left his house to walk to 7-11, however, he had to stop off at an ATM machine on the way because he didn’t have any money on him. When he got to the ATM machine he had to pay the fees so he decided to get out $100 in cash to make the fees worth it. Once the ATM spit out the five $20 bills, Joe threw them on top of his wallet and continued walking towards 7-11. Once he got to 7-11 he picked up his Butter Finger and got in line with several other people. When his turn came to pay, he opened up his wallet and the $20 bills spilled all over the counter. He gave the clerk one of the bills and left with about $98 in change and a big smile on his face because his mission to get the Butter Finger had been accomplished. Next he told me that he immediately tore open his new purchase and started chomping away. He actually said “Jason, you know how crispy Butter Fingers are right? When I was chewing it, I couldn’t hear anything going on around me.” As he turned the corner to go to his house, all of the sudden someone put a forearm to the back of his neck smashing him up against a brick wall. The robber next put a gun in his back and said, “Give me your [bleeping] money or I’m going to blow your brains out.”
Well, Joe says he reached into his pocket and dropped the $98 on the ground. The robber picked it up, hit Joe in the back of the head so he fell to the ground and then ran off with his money. Thankfully, Joe wasn’t injured and was just shaken up and $98 poorer. However, after Joe finished telling me his story, he did say to me, “Jason, what would you have done in that situation if you were me?” Well, if I was in that situation and thought it was just some petty thief and he’s got a gun in my back, you better believe I’m going to reach in my pocket, I’m going to give him that $98.00 and I’m going to swallow my pride. After all, if a guy has a gun to my back he’s already caught me off guard and I wasn’t doing a good job of being aware of my surroundings, which I will discuss a little later on. However, if as soon as I gave the thief the $98 he said to me “now you’re getting in my van and you’re driving around to different ATM machines in the city,” then that’s a different story because we know that if you get transported from the scene of the crime, the likelihood of survival significantly drops and you’ll probably be raped or murdered. In that instance, when a criminal was trying to get me into his van, I would do whatever it takes to stop him. That’s when I’d draw my gun and stop him from transporting me whether that meant shooting or just presenting my gun and having him flee from me. But either way, the gun would be a tool of last resort and I wouldn’t use it unless I saw no other options. I realize that might not sound very “macho” or “tough,” but I don’t care. When you’re carrying a concealed firearm you don’t do it to boost your ego or to be “cool” to your friends. You do it for self-preservation purposes only and you should try to use your brain first to get out of any dangerous situations before you use your gun.
The Single Most Important Factor of Concealed Carry Tradecraft Tradecraft: The methods used in clandestine operations, such as espionage. The skill acquired through experience in a trade; often used to discuss skill in espionage. Safety is the most important factor of concealed carry “tradecraft.” Nothing else comes first. In other words, if your goal is to become a world-class shooter and be a master of your tradecraft, the first thing you need to learn and never forget are the four rules of firearms safety. Also, it doesn’t matter if you think you’re a pro and you carry a gun on a regular basis, you should always follow the four safety rules below. If you do, you’ll never have to worry about having a firearms accident and the only time your gun will ever discharge is when you’re training at the range or using it in a deadly force incident when someone is trying to kill you or a loved one. Rule #1 - Treat all Guns as if They are Always Loaded
The first rule of firearms safety is to treat all guns as if they’re always load ed. Every time you come into contact with a firearm you’ll want to visually and physically check that it’s a safe and empty weapon and that there’s no ammo in the gun or a round in the chamber. You’re going to check once, look away and then check again. You are going to do this every single time. Never ever take anybody’s word that a firearm is unloaded, always verify for yourself by using your pinky finger to make absolutely sure there is not a round in the chamber or a magazine in the gun. Let me tell you a quick story of how this could have cost one person his life and ended up getting him arrested. One time after I’d taught a training class I had a gentleman pull me to the side and say “Jason, I want to tell you about my son who got arrested in Maryland the other day.” The state of Maryland has very strict rules when it comes to transporting a gun. You’re only allowed to have your gun in the car if you’re coming to or from the shooting range, a shooting event or place of
business that involves guns. When the gun is in the car, it must be fully unloaded, in an enclosed container, and in your trunk. Well, the guy’s son was on his way home from the shooting range and he got pulled over by police for speeding. The officer asked the kid if he had any weapons in the vehicle and he told the officer he did and that he was on his way home from the shooting range. The officer then asked to see the gun so the kid stepped out the car, walked over to his trunk and showed the gun case to the officer. The officer opened up the case and picked up the gun to make sure it was safe and empty. He checked to see if the magazine was in the gun and it was not, next he racked the slide on the semi-automatic gun and a round popped out of the chamber. The kid was arrested on the spot for having a loaded gun in his car. The father told me this may have been the best safety lesson his son ever had because he’ll never again forget to make sure his gun is unloaded. After all, his son thought he was walking around with an empty gun that day and if he had pulled the trigger on it he might have shot himself or one of his family members.
Always use your pinky finger to physically inspect your gun
When checking a revolver, hold it in your support hand and use your finger to check each chamber Rule # 2 - Never Point the Muzzle of the Gun at Anything You’re Not Willing to Destroy.
The number two rule of firearms safety is to never point the muzzle of the gun at anything you’re not willing to destroy. Many folks also refer to this as the laser rule. What you should do is pretend there’s a laser coming out of the end of the muzzle of your gun, and anything that laser touches will automatically be destroyed. In other words, keep the gun pointed in a safe direction at all times. A good idea when starting out training or getting used to a new holster is to use a blue training gun. You can buy these plastic guns in almost every make and model. They’ll help you train on new equipment before you move onto a real firearm in case you make any serious mistakes, such as accidentally muzzling yourself while holstering your gun. Below are two of the blue training guns that I personally use, a Glock 19 and Smith & Wesson snub-nosed revolver.
Perfect for practicing your draw from the holster
Rule # 3 - Do Not Put Your Finger on the Trigger Until You’re On Target and Ready to Shoot
The third rule of firearms safety is to not put your finger on the trigger until you’re on target and ready to shoot. This is critically important and probably the number one mistake I see when I’m training new shooters. As we all know, everybody watches Hollywood action movies. Every time you see one of the Hollywood posters of some superhero they always have their finger on the trigger. However, this is extremely dangerous. The fact is, you need to remember to keep your finger off the trigger and high up on the frame of the gun until you’re ready to fire. In other words, until you have identified your threat and have made a conscious decision to use deadly force, you do not put your finger on the trigger. For instance, during one of my training courses I had a fellow arguing with me about how if he heard a bump in the night at 3:00am he would absolutely have his finger on the trigger from the moment he picked up his handgun. He told me that if he ran into a prowler while searching his house he wanted to be able to immediately stop him. He continued to say that if his finger wasn’t on the trigger he might not have time to shoot before the intruder got to him. Well, I told this guy that was a terrible idea and that one day he would end up shooting his wife who got up for a late night snack or his 16 year old son sneaking in from his girlfriend’s house. You see, as you’re walking around your house at 3:00am you’re already a little nervous. If you run into someone you’ll be startled and that startle will cause yo u to flinch causing your fingers to tense up. If your finger tenses up and happens to be on the trigger, it’s going to pull the trigger and you’re going to shoot whatever startled you. That’s why you never put your finger on the trigger until you’ve identified your threat and you know that it’s a person who you need to use deadly force against. In fact, a few weeks ago I heard something fall in my basement. I grabbed my gun and slowly walked downstairs. As I was clearing the downstairs I forgot about a large cardboard box that loosely resembles a person. When I saw the box I flinched a bit and I felt my finger tense up against the frame of the gun. (My finger is always straight. Had it not been straight and had it been anywhere near the trigger, I likely would have fired the gun.) Let me give you a quick non-firearms related example that happened to me the other night and has probably happened to you once or twice in your life. Every night I get up to go to the bathroom about 4:00am and the other night I got up to go to the bathroom as usual. As I opened the bathroom door in my half-asleep state to go back to bed, my wife was standing there and she about gave me a heart attack. I shouted “geeze” and asked her why she had decided to “ambush” me and she said that she was simply waiting to go to the bathroom too. I offered her the suggestion that standing directly in the doorway like a serial killer was probably not the best way to greet me as I left the bathroom in the future. But my point is, if for some reason I had a gun in my hand with my finger on the trigger when I came out of the bathroom, I would probably be minus a wife right now. Also, if you still need any convincing of why you keep your finger off the trigger, here’s a story that was told to me by one of my training students. In 1978 he was in high school in Florida. A friend of his named Bobby was coming home late one night and decided not to go in the front door because he didn’t want to get in trouble with his parents. Instead, he chose to sneak in a back window. Apparently, his father heard a bunch of commotion coming from the back of the house so he grabbed his .357 revolver and ran outside. The father saw “someone” trying to break into his house so he shot them. He then ran inside to get a flashlight to see who the intruder was and he found his son
lying on the ground. Bobby did not die immediately but died the next day in the hospital. This is why you always identify your threat before putting your finger on the trigger.
Always have your finger high on the frame and off the trigger
Do not put your finger along the trigger guard
Rule #4 - Identify Your Target and What is Beyond It
The number four rule of firearms safety is to identify your target and what is beyond it. So although we just talked about identifying your threat I’m going to say it again: Unless you know what your target is, unless you see it, do not fire the gun. Make sure you know what you’re shooting at. Also, most likely your house or your apartment has thin walls. You need to know what is beyond those walls if you’re in a confrontation and are thinking about shooting someone. Are you pointing the gun at your children’s bedroom? Would a bullet go right through the drywall and strike your sleeping spouse? Always be aware of what is behind your target. When I was with the Agency, I had an incident where I almost had to use my firearm. I remember there was a crowd of people behind the “threat” and it was a very bad situation. I had to maneuver around to a different angle in case I had to take the shot. Thankfully, I did not have to shoot but I remember being conscious of my background beyond the target. Another thing, which I’ll go more in-depth into later, is that if you ever to have to use your firearm in a real life situation, or just draw it, you g et incredible tunnel vision. I remember this happening to me. Of course, I had trainers tell me about the adrenalin dump and the tunnel vision you’re going to get. But until you’re in that situation, you have no idea what’s it like. This is why it’s so important to pay attention to your surroundings so you know what your backstop is and so you’re not going to hit your kid’s room or something beyond your target, such as a bunch of innocent pedestrians. Never forget the four rules of firearms safety. I’m sure if you’ve been using firearms for years, you’ve had these rules drilled into your head over and over and over. However, handling firearms is not a situation where you can afford to make a mistake. Always follow these rules. Of course, there are other rules that should be followed too that are common sense. For instance, never handle a gun in an emotional state. If you’ve just been in a huge fight with your spouse, now is not time to do dry fire practice or to be handling your gun. Also, never drink or use drugs when carrying a firearm. If you happen to be brand new to the world of guns, don’t run right out to the gun store and buy a gun without knowing how to safely manipulate it, load it, unload it, and clear malfunctions. In other words, find a knowledgeable gun owner to help you with your gun buying decision and try some of their guns first or rent some from a range. Lastly, if you’re new to firearms please read this chapter again because safety comes first. You can never, ever afford to violate any of the rules just mentioned.
How to Protect Your Guns From a Bag Job Bag Job: Surreptitious entry, break and enter. It doesn’t matter if you live in a million dollar neighborhood or the ghetto. Break-ins happen all over the country, which is why you need to know how to safely store and protect your firearms both when you’re at home and when you’re away from home. Also, when it comes to storing and securing your firearms it doesn’t matter what your living situation is. Perhaps you’ve got a house full of children, maybe you’re married but don’t have any kids, or maybe you’re single and live by yourself. Either way, if you’ve got a gun (or if you’re like me – guns) in the house you should have them properly stored. But I want to make sure you understand what proper storage means. If you’re familiar with firearms then you know the common wisdom is that you store the gun and ammo separately, both secured in different locations. This is good advice for your sporting gun or guns that you only take out of the safe to shoot every six months or once a year. However, this is terrible advice for your home defense firearm. If you hear your window break at 3:00am and you realize someone is coming into your house, you better be able to grab your gun within seconds. Obviously, in this situation having your gun and ammo separate is likely to get you killed. In other words, your self-defense gun should be “locked and loaded.” It should have a round in the chamber so once you remove your gun from the safe, all you should have to do is pull the trigger. You should not have to insert a magazine and you should not have to chamber a round. I want to repeat this again because I hear far too often about people not keeping their selfdefense firearm loaded. This is pure nonsense and voids the whole purpose of trying to protect yourself in the first place. If a burglar busts down your door in the middle of the night you might have 10 seconds to get to your gun. You don’t want to make it any more difficult on yourself than opening your safe, removing the gun, pointing it at the threat, and shooting, if necessary. If you’re ever in that situation you’ll be under immense stress and you don’t want to have to remember to chamber a round, or get the magazine that you’ve hidden in another location. All of this nonsense could get you killed or raped. I hope that if you’re self-defense gun isn’t loaded and accessible in your bedroom that you’ll change that tonight.
However, since this gun is fully loaded you obviously cannot leave it lying around. Even if you’re single I would not leave it lying around because you never know who’s going to be in your house. Will one of your family members find the gun? Will a friend? Will a plumber or electrician who’s doing work on your house? For this reason I highly recommend a rapid-opening safe. There are many on the market but I’ll share with you the two that I personally use. The first one I use is the Gun Vault. The Gun Vault has locations for my fingertips and I press a four-digit code to open the vault. I can open this vault in about two to three seconds. The company also makes a biometric version that reads your fingerprints, however, I have heard nothing but bad news about the fingerprint scanning. People have said that you often have to scan your prints several times before it opens or that if you have any dirt on your fingers it won’t open. Therefore, until the technology improves, I would not get a vault that required you to scan your fingerprints. The other vault I use is a Stack-On drawer safe, which is smaller than the Gun Vault and easier to put inside a desk or other piece of furniture. With the Stack-On safe you have to enter your code, then hit the “star” button and turn the handle to open the safe. It takes a second longer than the Gun Vault but I still like it and believe it’s a good safe for your self-defense firearm. Of course, there are many other rapid-opening safes out there and you should use the one you like best. But again, make sure whatever storage or safety device you use allows you access to your gun in mere seconds. This means that trigger locks, and large gun safes should not store the firearm that might end up saving your family’s lives one day.
The Gun Vault with Springfield 1911 and spare magazine
The Stack-On drawer safe
What the Tradecraft of Flaps and Seals Has to do With Choosing the Right Gun for You Flaps and Seals - Tradecraft describing the surreptitious openings and closings of envelopes, seals, and other secure materials. One of the many “exciting” training classes I took at the Agency was the “safe cracking” class. It taught me everything I need to know about the workings, hardware and mechanisms of certain safes and security devices. Obviously, when dealing with safes, or when doing surreptitious openings of secure pouches, you need to have the correct tools with you. This class, and several of the others I took, taught me the critical importance of properly choosing the correct tools for the job, which is what I’m going to help you do right now. Your job is to protect yourself, so let’s discuss how you’re going to choose the best ‘tool’ to accomplish this task. You see, all of us are, of course, created differently. Some of us are shorter and some are taller. Some of us have big hands and some have small hands. This means there is no one-size-fits-all gun. Just because I tell you that a certain gun is my favorite and it’s what I carry concealed, doesn’t mean it’s going to be right for you. In fact, my personal concealed carry gun is the Glock 19 semi-auto. I just love this firearm. It’s a Glock so you can pretty much throw it on the ground, toss it around, clean it once every 10 million years and it’s going to work. Plus, you don’t have to worry about any external safeties. It’s about as reliable and simple as semi-autos get. Now, I realize a lot of folks don’t like the Glock and think its ugly or too “block-like” looking, but that doesn’t matter to me. All that matters to me is that I’m willing to bet my life on the Glock and that’s how you should feel about your concealed carry gun too. When it comes to revolvers, I love the Smith & Wesson model 642 Centennial Airweight. It’s a beautiful snub-nosed revolver. I know the revolver in general is not “sexy” like the semi-auto. It’s not as cool. People don’t seem to use them as much anymore. But I think everyone who says this is dead
wrong. These are great little guns, but definitely require lots of practice. As you’ll see later, they fit in your pocket perfectly and are very easy to conceal, and almost never malfunction. The revolver is the most simple and reliable firearm of all. But how exactly do you choose the right firearm for you? If I was you - and what I tell all of my training students to do is - don’t go out and spend $600 on a gun because your neighbor’s cousin’s brother said, “Hey, this Springfield XD is the best gun in the world.” The smartest thing you could do is to go to your local gun range and rent several of the guns there. That way you can try them out and see how they fit in your hand, how they shoot, and how comfortable you are with the gun. So call around and see what guns the local ranges in your area have for rent. Go to the range, try out a 1911. Try out the Springfield XD. Try out a Sig. Try out a Glock. Try out the Walther. Try out anything you want because even though, like I said, your best friend might love a Glock or because I love a Glock, you may not like it. It may not fit your hand right. It may not be comfortable. You may find that you love revolvers or else you may try the Airweight revolver and hate it. That brings up a quick point I want to make. Since I did tell you that the model 642 revolver is one of my favorites, you should know that it’s a tough gun to shoot and it takes practice to learn how to shoot it properly. This is not a gun you’re going to pick up and go shoot 500 rounds at the range and really love it. It has a good amount of recoil. In other words, this is a gun better suited for a more experienced shooter. So make sure before you go out and buy this gun (or any gun) that you try it out to see if you like it.
The Glock 19, one of the most popular guns on the planet
Smith & Wesson Model 642
The bottom line is, go to your local gun range, take somebody who knows what they’re doing and just try out as many firearms as you wish. Don’t let the gun guy at the counter who’s getting some commission for the new Springfield XD try and sell it to you when in reality, you really hate the gun. In fact, the gun store “commando” is so dangerous for people looking to buy their first firearm that I’ve included an article I wrote a while back about this “phenomenon.” Why Gun Stores are Dangerous for New Shooters
I really admire new shooters. I admire the person who has the courage to come out to a gun class all by themselves even though they’ve never touched a gun in their life. It takes a lot of courage to do this and I commend the people who highly value the ability to protect themselves. However, I am also worried for these new shooters. You see, once a person takes a class they often want to go out and get their first gun and they’re full of enthusiasm. I think that’s a wonderful thing, but sometimes a visit to the local gun store severely dampens that enthusiasm. You see, I have a theory about gun stores. I call it the “90% of gun store employees are not nice” theory. Originally, the theory had another name, but my loving wife convinced me that this name was more appropriate. So before I continue, let me explain the “90% of gun store employees are not nice” theory. It’s pretty complicated so pay attention. Simply put, my theory is that 90% of gun store employees are not happy campers. I bet they’ve washed out of police academies, never achieved their dreams to join the FBI or never made it to SEAL Team 6. Due to these failures they are bitter and now feel the need to be rude to others and belittle them. If you’ve ever been to a gun store, you’ve likely experienced this. When my wife and I were out in California visiting the in-laws last Thanksgiving, we went to a local gun store/shooting range. The guy behind the counter was very rude to my wife and deserved a kick to the face.
Just a few weeks ago, we were at a gun store in Maryland and not surprisingly, one of the employees was rude to both of us and treated us like second-rate citizens who didn’t even know what a gun was. The point is, I hate to hear about a new shooter who is so excited about buying their first gun and has the courage to go to the gun store, just to be treated like dirt or intimidated by some jerk of an employee on a power trip. I can only imagine how many people decided not to buy a gun or who decided guns were not for them after a terrible interaction at a gun store, which is a huge shame, since we all needs guns to protect ourselves. That’s why I want to give you some quick advice if you’re a new shooter getting ready to go purchase your first gun: First, never forget the “90% of gun store employees are not nice” theory. Remember, they probably hate their life so try not to take it personally. Secondly, if you can help it, do not go to the gun store alone to look at buying your first gun. Take someone with you who is knowledgeable about firearms. But if you have to go alone, I would take everything the gun store employee says with a grain of salt. Do not let them talk you into buying a gun that doesn’t fit your hand or that you don’t feel comfortable with. Remember, you are the one who is going to be carrying and shooting this gun, not the store employee. Also, do not buy a gun that you have never shot before. Almost every gun range allows you to rent guns, so go take a “test drive” of the gun you’re thinking of buying. I could go on and on, but it all boils down to this. You are doing the right thing by taking responsibility for your own protection and you know this. So don’t let anyone intimidate you about this or try and talk you into buying a gun that you don’t feel comfortable carrying. Lastly, even though I’ve already said it, please don’t go alone if you can help it. You need someone with you who’s patient and knowledgeable and who’s going to take the time to help you find the gun that’s best for you. Also, even if you’re an experienced shooter, please pass this advice on to the new shooters you know, so they don’t think all gun people are jerks and intimidating. Now that you know to be careful at gun stores and know a little bit about your choices, let’s go a little more in depth regarding the semi-auto versus revolver. Whether you get a revolver or semi-auto all depends on what you’re going to do with the gun and how much you’re going to use it. If you’re just going to shove the gun in a safe and never actually carry concealed, or if you’re only going to take out your gun every six months to go to the range, I would go for the revolver. Revolvers are very simplistic. They don’t jam. If you hear a click when you’ve pulled the trigger, you just keep pulling the trigger. If you go with a Smith & Wesson or Ruger, you can’t go wrong. I’m a pretty simple guy. I don’t like to complicate life and the revolver keeps life easy. However, the down side with most snub-nosed revolvers and the reason why a lot of people don’t like them is you’ve only got five shots. Obviously, that’s a lot less rounds than a semi-auto carries, which is often 15 or more. Of course, if you’re carrying a revolver you want to have a speedloader or speed strip, and carry a couple of them in your pockets. That way if “the stuff” ever hits the fan, you’re prepared. Also, and this is extremely important, make sure you practice reloading your revolver often, and time yourself to add a little pressure. In addition, with a revolver you really don’t have to worry about cleaning your gun as often and you don’t have to worry about malfunctions. If you truly want a simple, easy-to-use firearm, I’d go with the revolver. You can go 2-inch, 3-inch, 4-inch, etc. Obviously, the 2-inch is easier to conceal.
Revolvers are for everyone, too. I’ve heard some people say, “Only women or beginners should use revolvers.” That’s not true. I think everybody should consider carrying a revolver and becoming comfortable with the gun. The snubby is one of my favorite carry guns because of its simplicity and reliability. Now let’s get to the semi-auto. Most people like semi-auto’s because they’re sexier. They’re cooler. They’re what everybody uses these days. However, you have to know how to manipulate your firearm. You have to know how to load the firearm. You have to know how to unload the firearm. With the semi-auto you have to know how to handle all the malfunctions. That’s where it becomes tricky because if you don’t know how to handle malfunctions, and your gun goes click when you pull the trigger, you’ve got a serious problem. You have to know how to properly and quickly clear any and all malfunctions or it could cost you your life in a gunfight. Let me show you how to properly do this in the next chapter.
Speedloader with dummy rounds to practice reloading
Why Your Semi-Auto Could Get You Black-Flagged Black-Flagged – An agent who is to be interrogated and then shot if captured. When the Agency sends out an officer to recruit somebody, do you think he approaches the person and says, "Hi, my name is Bob Smith. I work for the Central Intelligence Agency. I know you work for the Iranian embassy and have access to key secrets. So, I was thinking that you could betray your country and start passing those secrets along to me. I'll even give you a cool $100,000 for working with us. What do you say?" That's obviously not how it goes. If the officer said the wrong thing it could expose his cover and he could be killed. Officers are highly trained in what to say and how to appeal to the interests of the person they're trying to recruit. Also, since every one is different, officers have “scripts” for the many unique situations they will encounter. It's the same thing for when a "crazy person" calls into the Agency claiming they know where a wanted terrorist is, or claiming they know about a threat against the United States. Again, there are certain scripts that you run through to determine whether or not it is a legitimate call. By the way, one of the questions you ask these people is, "Are you currently taking any medication?" Why does the Agency emphasize the importance of scripts? It's because they are involved in "a high stakes game." They are asking people to betray their country and in order to convince someone to do that, you need to know exactly what to say. This is one of the reasons why this will be one of the most important chapters you read. You see, you don’t need to memorize any scripts but you do need to memorize the exact actions of clearing a malfunction on a semi-auto, because if you don’t learn exactly how to handle the following problems it could literally get you killed. Why? Because if the gun jams and you don’t know exactly what to do, you’re left with a very expensive paperweight and not much else in the way to defend yourself.
Also, if you decide that you don’t want to learn how to fix the following malfunctions, then please choose to carry a revolver. Your life is far too important to think “these will never happen to me.” Because they happen to all shooters and they will happen to you. Type 1 Malfunction - Failure to Fire
The first malfunction is a failure to fire. When you pull the trigger you’ll hear a click. What you immediately need to do when you hear that click is tap the base of the magazine to ensure it is properly seated, then rack the slide to eject the bad round and chamber a new round. Then get back on target to take care of the threat. Type 2 Malfunction - Stove Pipe
The stove pipe, as you’ll see in a minute, looks like the pipe of a stove coming out of the ejection port because a round failed to properly eject. You’re going to clear this type of malfunction the same way you cleared the first malfunction. You’re going to tap. You’re going to rack. Then you’re going to get back on target and take care of the threat. So, for these first two: tap and rack. Type 3 Malfunction - Double Feed
This type of malfunction is the most serious of all. A double feed is as if two cartridges are trying to be chambered at the same time. With the double feed, you can tap, you can rack, but this won’t solve the problem. So after you’ve tapped and racked, you lock the slide to the rear and strip out the magazine as forcefully as you need to. If you have a spare magazine on your body, then just let the magazine fall to the ground and don’t worry about it. However, if you’ve only got one magazine on you (the one in the gun) then when you strip it out, place it under your shooting arm. Rack the slide about three times to clear the double feed, then re-insert the magazine from under your arm, rack the slide one more time to chamber a round and get back on target. As you can see, this one is more complicated, takes more time, and should be practiced often. Type 4 Malfunction – Out of Battery
Out of battery means the slide and barrel of the gun are not seated completely forward. In other words, if you look at the gun from behind you’ll see the slide hanging over a few centimeters. The ways to fix this are to either tap and rack, or you can also choose to hit the back of the slide with the palm of your hand to put it back into battery. However, I believe it’s a good idea to tap and rack for all malfunctions since that movement will clear the majority of problems on the semi-auto.
If you have a malfunction, tap the base of the magazine
Next, rack the slide to clear out the round
Type 2 malfunction - Stove Pipe
Type 3 malfunction - Double Feed
Looking at the back of the gun you can see the slide is out of battery, about the frame.
! inch
over
That’s how you take care of all of the malfunctions. As I mentioned earlier, semi-autos obviously have more problems than the revolver. But if you’re going to use a semi-auto make sure you know how to clear these malfunctions and make sure you practice doing it often. Because if you don’t, and you get a malfunction it’s going to be one shot and you’re out of the gunfight. In other words you’re likely to be “Black-Flagged.”
Training At The Farm… Shooting… Getting Shot The Farm: A Top Secret training facility.
If you’ve watched any Hollywood movies I’m sure you’ve heard of The Farm. It’s where some of the best training in the world takes place and that’s about all I can tell you. I cannot tell you where it’s located or any other details. While I was at The Farm I did all sorts of “fun activities.” Obviously, shooting was one of my favorites. I got to spend hundreds of hours at the range honing my shooting skills. I also got to participate in several “live” training scenarios involving simunitions (paintballs). Another quality training activity was the self-defense and han d-to-hand combat. You know you’ve had a good training session when you’re so exhausted you throw up when you’re done. So why am I telling you about my training at The Farm? Because that’s where I learned how to properly shoot and that’s where I learned the fundamentals that will hopefully help me stay on this earth for years to come. To help you achieve the same, let’s go over the fundamentals of shooting right now. Stance
Your body’s position is obviously very important when it comes to shooting. After all, if you were trying to balance on one leg with one hand tied behind your back you probably wouldn’t be very accurate. That’s why your stance needs to provide stability. Your feet should be solidly on the ground and you shouldn’t be so tense that you’re going to pass out. In other words, you need to be slightly relaxed. One of the most popular stances today is the isosceles. With this stance your feet are shoulder width apart and parallel. You’re standing completely upright and your head is erect. You’re body is completely square to the threat. Your gun is in the center of your chest and both of your arms are locked straight out
The arms and chest form an isosceles triangle
Standing completely upright
to form an isosceles triangle. While the isosceles is a good stance and feels natural to most people, peop le, it does have one problem. It’s not aggressive enough and does not provide enough stability for a shooter because a person can easily begin to lean backwards after repeated shots and the effects of recoil. This is why my preferred shooting stance is the modified isosceles. With this stance, your feet are still shoulder width apart and your arms still form a triangle. Howeve r, you drop your shooting foot back to give you more stability. Your knees are slightly bent, your shoulders are rolled forward and your head is forward too. Next, is the Weaver stance developed in the 1950’s by Los Angeles County Sherriff Deputy Jack Weaver. Weaver was a competition compe tition shooter who created the stance to help him draw and fire his
gun more quickly, because in those days most people were still shooting a handgun with one hand only. In this stance your body is bladed and is not square with the target as a s in the isosceles position. Your strong-side foot is dropped back and you assume a boxer’s position. Both of your elbows are bent and your gun is closer to the body. Your gun hand is pushing out, while your support hand is pulling in, creating a push-pull tension. Today, there aren’t many instructors or schools teaching the Weaver. Personally, I don’t like it and it doesn’t work well for me, but if it works for you, by all means, use it. The final stance I want to go over is the Chapman stance, which was created by Ray Chapman who won the First World Combat Pistol Championship in 1975. The Chapman stance is very similar to the Weaver with one difference. Instead of having both elbows bent, with the Chapman your strong side elbow is completely straight and only the support-side elbow is bent. In this position you still have the push-pull tension. What I highly recommend for all shooters is to try shooting in each of these positions and find the one that is most comfortable for you. Although I use the modified isosceles you might find the Weaver is your favorite.
Modified isosceles with shoulders forward
Modified isosceles with knees slightly bent
Both elbows are bent in the Weaver stance
The gun hand is pushing out while the other hand is pulling
Chapman stance with gun elbow straight and locked
Chapman uses the push-pull tension like the Weaver
Grip
If I had to guess, I’d say 95% of gun owners improperly grip a handgun. In fact, when I’m teaching one of my CCA Defensive Pistol courses, grip is one of the first things we work on and students are always amazed at how much better they shoot once they know how to correctly grip the gun. The first thing you want to do when it comes to your grip is to place the gun in the center of the web of your hand. With the gun in the center of your hand, your front sight should line up with the center of your elbow. In other words, if you took a piece of string and ran it from your front sight, through your rear sight, and all the way up your arm it would go in a straight line. Next, you want to grip high up on the tang of the gun. This means you want to grip as high up on the gun as possible, just beneath the slide. (If you happen to put your hand too high over the slide, it’s a mistake you’ll only make once.) This high grip makes recoil a lot easier to manage and allows you to get back on target more quickly when firing multiple shots. Once of the most common questions I get about grip is how hard to grip the gun. There are theories saying you should grip the gun with 60% power with your gun-hand and 40% with your support hand and other numbers like that. This advice is nonsense as none of us can tell an exact percentage of gripping a gun. I believe the best way to grip the gun is to have a firm grip like holding a hammer. For example, if I handed a gun to you and told you to hold it for five seconds, I should be able to see slight marks in your hand from the frame of the gun. If not, you’re not gripping the gun hard enough. One of the reasons you want to grip the gun firm is because it helps you control recoil and keeps the gun from flopping all over the place. But more importantly, a firm grip allows you to isolate you r trigger finger so you can have a smooth press of the trigger without moving all of your other fingers too. After you have the gun seated properly in your shooting hand it’s time to add your support hand. The easiest way to make sure your support hand goes in the right place is to point the gun at a small target with your gun-hand fully extended. Next, point the thumb of your support hand at this target also. By pointing your thumb straight at the target your fingers should be pointed down at a 45degree angle and your wrist should be locked out. You then bring the two hands together and create the
“thumbs forward” shooting position. You want to make sure that you have a lot of flesh on the gun and that the palm of your support hand is firmly pressed against side of the gun. If done correctly, the thumb of your gun-hand should be resting on top of the thumb of your support hand. I’ve found that this grip gives me the best control over the gun and the best accuracy. However, the “thumbs forward” position is only for semi-automatic handg uns. When shooting a revolver you want to grip high on the gun, you want to grip firm, but your thumbs will curl down as you grip the gun. For instance, the thumb on your support hand will curl on top of your gun-hand thumb. This grip is very important to maintain when shooting a revolver because you need to keep your thumbs and fingers away from the cylinder of the gun.
The gun should be in the center of the web of your hand
Thumbs forward with the semi-automatic
Thumbs curl on top of each other with the revolver Breathing
When it comes breathing and when you’re supposed to exhale and inhale during a shot, the good news is that you don’t have to worry about it. If you’re a sniper in the military then obviously breathing is very important when it comes to shooting. However, for civilians like you and me who are carrying a handgun for self-defense purposes this will be the furthest thing from your mind when the “stuff” hits the fan during a deadly force encounter. So don’t worry about if you’ve just inhaled or exhaled because it won’t matter when you’re a few feet from a man who’s trying to kill you. Sight Alignment
Your handgun has a front sight and rear sight, which you need to properly align to get accurate hits on target. Your rear sight is likely flat bottomed with a square notch in the middle and your front sight is a small, perpendicular blade. When you’re ready to shoot you need to bring the gun up to eye level and look through the square notch in the rear sight and focus on the front sight. You cannot focus on both the rear sight and the front sight at the same time. It’s impossible to do, so make sure and focus 100% of your attention on your front sight. Pick the smallest indent, or scratch on your front sight and focus on it like your life depends on it. Seeing your front sight crystal clear and focusing on the smallest scratch or mark is one of the secrets to becoming an accurate shooter. If you’re focusing hard on your front sight then the rear sight and the target should both be blurry. Also, your front sight needs to be aligned in the center of your rear sight with equal amounts of light on either side, and your front sight and rear sight should be level across the top. See below for an example of a level front and rear sight, and equal light on each side.
Proper sight alignment Trigger Control
Trigger control is without a doubt the toughest fundamental to master. Anyone can properly align the sights, however, it takes constant practice to learn how to manipulate the trigger. Put simply, you need to smoothly press the trigger straight back without disturbing the sights. When it comes to finger placement there are two schools of thought: Some people put only the pad of their finger on the trigger (which is what I do) and others press the trigger using the first joint of their index finger. You need to try both positions and figure out which placement works best for you. Once you find the finger placement you prefer, practice a smooth and steady trigger press over and over. Do not “slap” or jerk the trigger because it will cause you to shoot low and to the left if you’re a right handed shooter. This is a common problem for shooters and can be fixed with proper dry fire practice. Once your finger is on the trigger it should stay there until you’ve finished firing. In other words, your finger should have continuous contact with the trigger. After you fire your first shot, release the trigger just enough to hear the click of the trigger reset. After each shot you need to hold the trigger to the rear for a split second and get your sights back on target and ready to take another shot. One important thing to remember is that accurate hits on target are all that count. It doesn’t matter if you can press the trigger lightening fast if all y our shots are misses, so never shoot faster than you can accurately hit. Easier said than done, I know. Follow Through
If you’ve ever played sports then you’re familiar with follow through. When playing basketball, once the ball is released from your hand you keep both hands in the air with your shooting hand fully extended. If you’re a quarterback throwing a football you also keep the throwing hand extended once the ball is released. Well, firing a gun is similar. Once you fire your shot you need to continue all of the fundamentals we’ve talked about so far. Continue to have a solid grip. Maintain your stance and immediately get your sights back on target. Also, don’t forget to hold the trigger to the rear for that split second.
Do not do the following, which is common among many new shooters, and that is to instantly pop up after a shot to see where it went on the target. This “popping up” effect throws off your shot and does not allow you to quickly get back on target. Remember to discipline yourself to maintain your shooting stance until you’ve fired and reacquired your sights so you can quickly take another shot if need be.
Since You’re Operating Naked, You Better Choose This Wisely Naked: A spy operating without cover or backup. Police, law enforcement, and other agencies often have substantial backup when it comes to dangerous operations and dangerous situations. However, the average civilian obviously does not. If someone breaks down your door at 3:00am and starts rushing up your stairs to kill you, you certainly don’t have time for the police to arrive and help you out. If you’re walking out of the mall parking lot one day and a man starts charging you with a knife, you don’t have time to pick up the phone, dial 911, and wait for law enforcement to stop the attacker. In other words, when you are carrying concealed and protecting your family you’re almost always operating “naked.” It’s for this very reason the firearm you choose to carry has to be reliable and dependable since nobody is going to be there to back you up if your gun doesn’t function properly. Not only do you have to purchase a quality gun, but it’s equally important to get the right type of ammunition for your gun. After all, if you buy unreliable ammunition that won’t fire in your gun, then what good is having a gun, right? So let’s go over some of the types of ammunition so that you know what to protect yourself with: First off, there are two types of ammunition. There’s rimfire and centerfire. Rimfire means the primer is in the rim of the cartridge. A common rimfire round is the .22. A centerfire cartridge has the primer in a cup in the center of the cartridge and includes typical calibers such as 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP. Each cartridge includes several components. As just mentioned, you have the primer, which when struck by the firing pin creates a spark that ignites a powder charge. As this powder charge burns, gases build up and force the bullet to separate from the case and travel down the barrel of the gun and hopefully to the target you’re aiming at. Also, on a side note, there are three different ways to figure out what type of cartridge you’re putting in your gun. The first way is to look on the box. Clearly stamped on it will say 9mm Luger or .45 Auto or whatever type of ammunition it is. However, if for some reason you mix your ammunition and put it in a different box, then obviously the box isn’t always reliable. The next way to check what
type of ammo you need is by looking on the barrel or slide of your gun. For example, on my Smith & Wesson snub-nosed revolver it says .38 special on the barrel. Lastly, on the head of every cartridge the caliber is stamped. So, if you squint at the 9mm cartridge that goes in my Glock 19 it will say 9mm Luger in very small lettering. Practice Ammunition vs. Self Defense Ammunition
When you go to the shooting range for practice you want to use cheap ammunition, such as the type you find at Wal-Mart. This ammo costs about 22 cents a round for 9mm. It is full metal jacket and has a reduced powder charge, which means there’s less recoil. So whether you’re going to the range for fun, or going to a shooting school and firing a few hundred rounds in a day, this is the ammo you want. In fact, the practice ammo I’m currently using is American Eagle, 124 Grain Full Metal Jacket, but I use pretty much anything I can get for a good price. However, when it comes to your self-defense ammunition you don’t want to be cheap because your life might depend on this ammo one day. Self-defense ammo varies in price but it’s going to cost you about $1.30 a round for 9mm, so you can see there’s a huge difference in price between the costs of ammo. Also, unlike practice ammo, which is full metal jacket, self-defense ammo should be jacketed hollow point. You want a hollow point round because they open up and expan d upon penetration. This means there’s less chance of over penetration and having the bullet pass through an attacker and hit an innocent bystander.
On the left is a jacketed hollow point round and on the right is a full metal jacket round.
Several .40 S&W hollow point rounds
One very important point to remember when it comes to self-defense ammunition is to shoot at least 200 rounds through your gun to make sure your gun properly feeds it and doesn’t jam. I realize that shooting 200 rounds of self-defense ammo is going to cost a significant amount of money, however, after you’ve done this you don’t have to shoot it anymore. In other words, you shoot the cheap stuff at the range from now on and before you head home you load up with your self-defense ammo that you pray you never have to use. Another important point to consider is how often you’re going to buy new self-defense ammo for your gun. This topic is one where people are all over the board and everyone has their own preference. Personally, I would not go any longer than one year. I know some people who do it every five years and I know others who do it every six months. This is completely up to you, but you have to remember that you may be betting your life on this ammunition one day, so do you really want ammo that’s been sitting in your gun for the last five years? I certainly don’t, which is why if you reach the one year mark and you still have the same self-defense ammo in your gun, go to the shooting range, shoot it out, and purchase new ammo. Of course, when it comes to all of your ammunition, whether it’s for practice or self-defense purposes, keep it stored in a cool, dry place, and keep it away from any corrosive chemicals.
You Can't Be Cheap If You Want to Become a Covert Action Agent Covert Action Agent – A spy who tries to change an entire country’s politics in favor of his own country. The Agency's annual budget is classified. But as you can guess it's a huge sum of money, because protecting our country is of supreme importance. You can't really put a price tag on keeping the American public safe. There have been many cases over the years where the Agency has tried to "influence" the politics of another country so that it would favor the U.S. and "keep us safer". One of the most notable examples of this covert action was in Cuba, trying to get rid of Fidel Castro. The Agency ran multiple operations to get rid of Castro, but they all failed. They were even in talks with the Mafia to have Castro assassinated, but the operation was never carried out. The Agency spends millions of dollars every year on training employees and gives them the best equipment in the business. I remember looking at some of the gear they bought me and thinking about how much it costs to "outfit" employees. But again, I realized they spend so much money on training, on recruiting, and on paying assets because this was the best way to protect the country and run a successful Agency. If you didn't invest in your employees, or invest in the best equipment, or pay top dollar for the best intelligence, then who knows what language we'd be speaking right now. The good news (which you already know) is that you don't need millions of dollars, like the U.S. Government, to properly equip yourself to protect your family. (Although, don’t let my wife know I told you that, as I have to convince her that every gun I buy is critical to the safety of our family, even if I already own five copies of the same gun.) But as I mentioned in the last chapter about not being cheap about ammunition, you also don’t want to be cheap about any of your personal protection gear, especially when choosing your concealed carry holster. This holster may save your life one day so make sure it’s quality. Also, remember that choosing a holster is like choosing a gun. There is no right holster for everyone just like there’s no perfect gun for everyone. You’re probably going to have to go through a lot of poor and uncomfortable holsters before you find “The One.”
For example, on the next page is a cheap inside the waistband holster made of cloth. The problem with this holster is that when you draw your gun it collapses, so when you go to re-holster you can’t get it back in the holster easily and have to use two hands. In other words, this is a bad choice for a holster because you need to be able to holster the gun one-handed without taking your eyes off the threat. This leads me to my personal favorite holster. The holster I like best is an inside the waistband, leather holster. The reason this is my favorite holster is because it does an excellent job of concealing my gun. I think sometimes people need to be reminded that the keyword when carrying concealed is “concealed.” People should not be able to see your gun in any
Cheap cloth holster that collapses upon drawing the gun
Inside the waistband leather holster reinforced at the top
manner and it should not be printing through your clothes. Another reason I like the inside the waistband holster is because it gives me quick access to my gun. This is important because when someone comes at you with a knife at the ATM machine, or comes to carjack you, you’ll only have seconds to react, so you need to be able to get to your gun quickly. My next favorite holster is an outside the waistband holster. However, if I were you, I would only wear this type of holster when you have a jacket or a vest concealing the gun. I would never, ever wear this type of holster while open carrying. For example, in the state of Virginia, Utah, and a few others, it’s legal to open carry. But, I think this is a terrible idea and I would never recommend it. You see, when I’m carrying a gun I don’t want anyone else to know I have it on me. I don’t want to be standing in a 7-11 one day and have some criminal run in and shoot me first because he sees that I have a gun on my hip, therefore I’m his biggest threat. Also, I don’t want to be standing in line at Wal-Mart and have to worry about some dirt bag grabbing my gun from behind. When you open carry you have to be very aware of your surroundings at all times. Law enforcement officers are well trained in this, b ut I’ve seen the “average Joe” open carry and far too many of them have no awareness when it comes to their gun. Plus, if you open carry you’d better have a retention device on your holster, but this still doesn’t mean someone can’t try and take it. Of course, in general, I just don’t want to make a spectacle and draw attention to myself. When I’m out and about running errands I want to blend in with everyone else. If I’m ever face to face with a criminal whose about to take my life or someone near me I want him to look at me and think I’m some harmless guy in jeans and a T-shirt. I don’t want him to know that if the situation calls for it he’s about to see the business end of my Glock. Plus, we all know that many cops and other law enforcement officials don’t know state laws when it comes to open carry. As fun as it is wasting half my day while some cop hassles me, I’ll pass. But whether you choose to carry inside or outside the waistband let me show you how to properly draw the gun so you can get it out of your holster and on the threat as quickly as possible. The first and most important thing to do is to get a firm grip on the firearm. Remember, you want to go high up on the tang (get a high grip), get a firm grip, and make sure your finger is straight and not anywhere near the trigger. Next, you’re going to pull the gun straight up to clear the holster and rotate the gun toward the target. Then get a two handed grip on the gun as you push out and acquire your sights and prepare to shoot, if necessary. Once you’ve taken care of the threat safely re-holster. An important thing to remember is that most accidents happen when people are holstering so go slowly. It doesn’t matter how long it takes to get your gun back in the holster because you
Outside the waistband Kydex paddle holster
Get a firm firing grip on the gun
Clear the holster
Rotate the gun toward the target
Get a two-handed grip on the gun and extend your arms
should have your eyes on the threat the entire time in case you have to quickly bring the gun back on target. Also, as I mentioned earlier in this book, there have been times in my life where I’ve had to draw my firearm but thankfully I’ve never had to use it. However, I remember these instances like it was yesterday and I remember having severe tunnel vision. That’s why every time you draw your firearm, before you re-holster you want to scan to your left, scan to your right and then quickly check over your shoulder to make sure there are no other threats around you. Scumbags travel in packs, so just because the main threat ran away, he could have two buddies standing right near him. Or, he could have a buddy coming up from behind you. Drawing While Wearing a Jacket
Now I’m going to show you how to draw while you’re wearing a jacket. What you want to do is sweep the jacket back with your hand, get a firm grip and then come out on target. Of course, remember to always go back in the holster slowly and keep your finger off the trigger. Make sure your jacket does not have any lose strings or any draw strings at the bottom. You don’t want anything to slow your draw or to get caught in the trigger guard. Also, a trick that some folks use is to sew a fishing weight into the corner of the jacket so that when you sweep it back the weight gives the jacket more momentum. I have never had the need to do this but if you have an extremely lightweight jacket it may be something you want to consider. Don’t forget to practice drawing with every jacket you wear while carrying concealed. I only have two different jackets that I wear so it’s easy to practice and see how each one sweeps back differently. However, if you’re the type of person who has 10,001 jackets you need to practice with
each jacket before you wear it carrying a gun for the first time. In fact, I would practice the draw with a safe and empty weapon in case you didn’t realize
Sweep jacket back with your hand
Get a firm firing grip
Draw the gun and get a two-handed grip
there was a string or other item on the jacket which might get in the way during your draw. By the way, in addition to using your hand like a claw to sweep the jacket back, you can also use your thumb like a hook to sweep the jacket back too. Drawing While Wearing a Sweatshirt
As I write this, I’ve got my Agency sweatshirt on. I bought this right before I left the Agency in the gift store. I probably could have gotten it on a street corner in DC for $5.00 instead of the $40 or so that I paid. Oh well. It’s a comfortable sweatshirt and I like it. This particular sweatshirt doesn’t conceal my outside the waistband holster too poorly. But, with most clothes, an outside the waistband holster is just not practical because it’s going to
Reach over and pull the garment away from the holster
Pull the garment straight up and obtain a firm grip
print. What that means is you’re going to see the outline of the firearm through your clothes and you obviously want to avoid that. When you’re drawing wearing a sweatshirt, what you’re going to do is reach over with the support hand. Pull the garment out and then up towards your chin, so that you make sure and clear the holster. Then acquire your firm grip with your gun hand and go through the complete drawing process. When it’s time to holster the gun you need to reach over again with your support hand and lift the garment up and out of the way.
Drawing While Wearing a Button-Up Shirt and Jeans
With an outside the waistband holster, drawing while wearing a button-up shirt is pretty much the same as when you’re wearing a sweatshirt. You’re going to reach over, pull the garment out and up to clear the holster. Then when it’s time to re-holster just reverse the process and go as slowly as you need to. Drawing Using an Inside the Waistband Holster
Now we’re going to talk about the inside the waistband holster, which is my favorite way to carry concealed. I prefer this type of holster because it conceals the gun very well, it doesn’t print and it’s comfortable to wear. The draw technique with this holster is the same as with the outside waistband holster. If you’re wearing a T-shirt, you’re going to reach over with your support hand. Pull the shirt out and then up. Get a firm grip on the gun, clear the holster, rotate toward the target and extend your arms while getting a two-handed grip. Once you’ve taken care of the threat, scan from side to side, check over your shoulder and slowly go back into the holster. If you’re wearing a jacket, you’re going to sweep the
Inside the waistband leather holster with a Glock 19
Drawing the gun from an inside the waistband holster
jacket back, with your gun hand and then lift up your shirt with your support hand. Now, if you’re a businessman who’s going to be wearing a suit all of the time you’ll need an inside the waistband holster that allows you to tuck in your shirt. These holsters take a little bit longer to put on, but if you buy a quality one, it will do the job and nobody will ever know you’re carrying, even if you take your suit jacket off. The important thing to remember is that drawing wearing a suit, with your shirt tucked in is a little more in-depth than when wearing jeans and a T-shirt. First, you must sweep back the suit jacket. Then with your left hand you must untuck the shirt and then draw the gun with your right hand. With a little practice in front of the mirror it becomes easy to do, and if you’re a businessman who wears a suit, I encourage you to practice this until it becomes second nature. Also, don’t forget that if for some reason your shirt gets in the way as you’re trying to draw your gun you need to “fight through it” and get the gun on the threat as quickly as possible. In other words, always train like it’s real life and don’t stop your draw because you’re afraid of ripping or damaging a shirt. Drawing Wearing a Shoulder Holster
Safety rule #2 is never point the muzzle of the gun at anything you’re not willing to destroy. That’s why, if you want to get a shoulder holster and practice your draw, I would start out using a blue training gun. The reason being is that a lot of time people will accidentally muzzle their arm as they draw the gun from this type of holster. In addition, if you have to draw with people around you, you could muzzle them as you get the gun on target. It’s critical to make sure that as you draw the gun you keep it pointed at the ground and then bring it up on the threat. I’m not a huge fan of the shoulder holster. I understand that it looks cool and makes people feel like they’re in Miami Vice. But remember, you’re not carrying a gun to look “cool.” You’re carrying a gun to protect your life. Unless you’re part of a protective detail and do a lot of driving, I would not recommend a shoulder holster for the average person carrying concealed. In other words, if you’re
driving a vehicle, the shoulder holster allows you to quickly get the gun up to the window if someone is trying to carjack you, but again, I would not recommend this for the average gun owner. Drawing with the Cross Draw Holster
Put simply, the cross draw holster is on your support side, and you reach across your body to draw– think of how cowboys often wear their guns in western movies. However, the problem with the cross draw is the same problem with the shoulder holster. If you don’t know how to properly draw, you end up muzzling yourself and those around you. Just remember to keep
Three examples of tuckable holsters
First clip on the tuckable holster, then tuck in your shirt
It’s easy to conceal a handgun wearing a business suit
Sweep jacket with right hand, untuck shirt with left hand
Get a firm firing grip on the gun
Rotate gun towards the threat
Finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot
Vertical shoulder holster with a blue gun
the gun pointed at the ground until you’re ready to come up on target. So why wear a cross draw holster? Just like the shoulder holster it’s good for people who do a lot of driving, such as protective details. While seated in a vehicle, the cross draw gives quick and easy access to the gun in case somebody was trying to car jack you.
Drawing wearing an Ankle Holster
The ankle holster is a great place for a backup gun. I wouldn’t use it for a primary gun because the problem is you don’t have quick enough access to it. You’ve got to reach all the way down to your ankle to get to the gun. Remember, quick access to the gun could mean the difference between life and death. With the ankle holster draw, the way you want to do it is you’re going to bend at the knee a little bit. You’re going to grab your pants with both hands around your calf and pull up. Then get a firm grip on the gun and come up on target. It’s up to you whether you want to take a knee or stand straight up. Also, if you’re right handed you’ll carry the gun on the inside of your left ankle and do the opposite if you’re left handed. The snubby revolver is great for a backup gun and for wearing on your ankle. If you get into a gunfight and something happens to your primary gun and it’s out of service, then you can immediately transition to your backup gun and take care of the threat. Or, if you only carry one magazine for your semi-automatic (which I wouldn’t recommend) and you run out of ammo, you can do a “New York” reload and grab your backup gun. But remember not to carry your primary gun on your ankle. In fact, recently, my brother graduated from the police academy out in Utah. He called me on the phone and told me he was going to buy a snub-nosed revolver to carry in an ankle holster and it was going to be his primary gun while off duty. I told him this was not a good idea and I wouldn’t recommend it. Of course, since I’m his brother he didn’t want to listen to me and told me he was going to do it anyway. Well, about two days later I got a phone call from him and he said, “Jason, I asked one of my instructors at the academy what he thinks of having my primary gun in an ankle holster and he told me it’s not a smart idea, so I decided against it.” (Again, what do I know, right?) Drawing Using a Pocket Holster
Ever since the first concealed carry permit was issued, we’ve been trying to perfect the whole “concealed” part, which includes making smaller and smaller firearms. These days there’s an endless array of pocket guns such as the Kel-Tec PF9… Glock 26… Kahr PM9… Ruger LCP… and the snubnosed revolver, to name a few. But just because a gun is small enough to fit in your pocket, does that mean you should carry one there? Well, the advantage of pocket carry is that it’s easy and comfortable. You don’t have a gun on your hip or strapped to your ankle that might cause you a bit of discomfort. Secondly, if the hair raises on the back of your neck and you feel like you’re in a dangerous situation you can reach in your pocket and have your hand on the gun without anyone being the wiser. For example, let’s say a guy pops out of nowhere with a knife and says, “Hey, buddy, give me your keys,” or “Hey, I’m going to kill you if you don’t give me your money.” You could reach in your pocket and come out with a nice surprise for him. However, in my opinion, those are the only advantages of pocket carry and there are a lot more disadvantages. First off, it’s tough to draw a gun from your pocket while sitting down. Just try reaching in your front pocket and pulling out a large object while you’re driving. It’s not easy to do. Next, one of the biggest problems of all is the gun itself. The itsy bitsy guns that fit in your pocket are obviously more difficult to shoot and have a heck of a lot more recoil. Plus, there’s the confidence factor. If you’re ever in a gunfight and your life is on the line, do you want to draw a tiny gun from your pocket that’s more difficult to shoot? If you can honestly answer yes and have practiced
with the gun, then go ahead and carry it. However, if the thought of drawing a Seecamp .380 from your pocket makes you shudder, then find a gun you’d be willing to bet your life on. If you do find that gun, then always use a pocket holster. Never, ever, carry in your pocket without one because something could get in the trigger, plus the gun could get all kinds of gunk and lint in it. Also, be very careful of muzzle control when the gun is in your pocket. You don’t want to be sitting at the dinner table across from your spouse with a loaded firearm pointed directly at him or her. Lastly, make sure you’ve got the right type of pants on. Most jeans pockets are too tight and you’ll have a giant bulge in your pocket. You’ll likely have to wear either Khaki’s or some type of cargo pants. Of course, before you stroll out of the house make sure you don’t look ridiculous and that the world can tell you’ve got an abnormally large object in your pocket.
Drawing the snub-nosed revolver from the pocket
That brings me to my final point on carrying a gun in your pocket. I know this is common sense, but since there are a lot of knuckleheads in the world: Pocket carry is for pocket guns. In other words, if your full-size 1911 is protruding from your pocket, it doesn’t qualify as pocket carry and should not be in a pocket holster. Less Conventional Holsters
We’ve just covered the most common holsters for carrying your concealed firearm. However, if you’ve ever searched online for holsters, or you’ve been to a gun show, you know there are about 10 million and one “gimmicky” type of holsters out there. For instance, there’s a type of underwear you can buy with a built in holster where the gun points directly at your private parts. Who in their right mind thinks it’s a good idea to have a firearm pointing in that direction? I have no idea. There are also devices which look like cell phone cases which turn into holsters and there are special T-shirts with built in holsters under the arm. Remember, for concealed carry you’ve got to be able to access the gun quickly. If you’re reaching around in your crotch trying to find your gun down in your underwear, or you’re trying to
have this neat cell phone device that you’ve got to fiddle with to get to your gun, this is not a situation you want to be in when your life is on the line. You don’t want to die in a gunfight with your hands down your pants trying to get your gun out of your underwear. Sure, these types of holsters may sound cool. Sure, they make look neat. But if you use them they may cost you your life because you can’t get to your gun fast enough or you’re not able to establish a firm grip on the gun. The bottom line is, I believe most people should carry in an inside the waistband holster because that gives you the quickest access to the gun, while providing the most concealment. But whatever holster you choose, make sure you practice your draw often with a safe and empty weapon.
If You Carry Concealed, Then You Need the Following Pocket Litter Pocket Litter - Items in a spy's pocket (receipts, coins, theater tickets, etc.) that add authenticity to his or her identity. When you carry concealed you can’t just choose a gun, buy a holster and then figure you’re all set to go. There are other items your – “pocket litter” – that you need to have and carry with you to ensure that you’re as prepared as possible to protect yourself if a deadly force situation ever arises. First, you need a good belt. Remember how I’ve talked about not being cheap several times throughout this book? You need a quality firearm. You need a quality holster. You need a quality belt. The belt I wear is a black leather gun belt that’s 1! inches thick. Don’t go to Walmart and spend $10 on a flimsy belt because it won’t support your holster and you could run into some serious problems when drawing your firearm.
Buy a solid gun belt, nothing cheap or flimsy
Magazine pouch, SureFire flashlight, and Benchmade knife
You also need to have a good flashlight. Even if you don’t plan to carry it on you when you’re out and about on the streets, you should at least have one at home on your nightstand next to your gun. In case you’re wondering, I prefer SureFire flashlights. Ammunition and Spare Magazine Pouch
Whether you’re carrying a semi-auto with a 15-round magazine or a revolver with five rounds, you should always try and carry extra ammo. With the semi-auto, have at least one spare magazine. If you’re carrying a revolver, have at least one speedloader, preferably two speedloaders or two speed strips. If you have a semi-automatic I prefer a Kydex magazine pouch that is worn on your hip on your support side. You can purchase the magazine pouches that will carry either one or two magazines. One important thing to remember is that you must train at the range the same way you carry on the streets on a regular basis. What I mean by that is I know individuals who go to the shooting range and will practice reloading while wearing their magazine pouch on their hip. However, on a day-to-day basis they keep their spare magazine in their front pocket. This is not a good idea because if they ever get in a deadly force situation they’re going to be reaching for the spare magazine on their hip and it’s not going to be there because they’re carrying it in their front pocket. It doesn’t matter where you carry your magazine, that’s up to you. What’s more important is that you have one on you. However, when you’re at the range and you need to reload, if you carry your magazine in your pocket, make sure that’s where it is at the range too so you develop the proper muscle memory. Lastly, I always recommend carrying a knife on you at all times. Even if for some reason you’re not carrying a gun on you, at the minimum still have a knife. Personally, I love Benchmade knives. However, they’re not cheap. I admit that I’m a pretty cheap guy when it comes to a lot of
things in life. But I’m not cheap when it comes to the equipment or training that could one day save my life. There is one other item that I carry with me at all times anywhere and everywhere I go, including many places you cannot bring a knife or a gun. It’s a tactical pen and it’s one of my favorite personal protection items. If you don’t know what a tactical pen is make sure you see the picture and box below, because I think every American should carry one of these.
The tactical pen that never leaves my side
To get the exact tactical pen I use and to discover the Art of the Tactical Pen, visit www.TacticalSpyPen.com.
How Not to Get Burnt When Using Deadly Force Burnt– Burned, completely exposed. This is going to be one of the most important chapters you read, so I hope you’re paying attention. The reason being is because if you don’t understand deadly force law you will get burned and you’ll probably end up in jail with a roommate named Bubba. But remember, I am not a lawyer so seek competent legal advice on deadly force law so you don’t get into trouble. For instance, a pharmacist in Oklahoma City was working one night when three men rushed in to rob the pharmacy. One of robbers had a gun and pointed it directly at the pharmacist. The pharmacist who had a concealed firearms permit quickly drew a pistol he kept behind the counter and shot the robber holding the gun, knocking him unconscious. The other robbers quickly fled the store as the pharmacist chased them, however he was unable to catch them. When the pharmacist walked back into the store, the first robber was still lying there and for one reason or another, the pharmacist got another gun he had behind the counter, walked over to the first robber and put five more bullets in him. Recently, the pharmacist was convicted of first-degree murder and will likely spend the rest of his life in jail. So what did the pharmacist do wrong? Well, you’ve likely already figured it out, but let me start at the beginning of deadly force law so you never make a mistake like the pharmacist did. First off, you only draw your firearm when you are in immediate and otherwise unavoidable danger of death or serious bodily injury. You do not draw your gun to scare someone off or to threaten them. You only draw it when you’re in fear for your life or serious bodily injury and you’re ready to pull the trigger if necessary. When you draw your gun to use deadly force you must have three elements present. These elements are ability, opportunity and jeopardy (often referred to as manifested intent.) Let’s say it’s your birthday and you want to buy yourself a new pocketknife. If you go to Bass Pro Shops and ask the guy behind the counter to show you a knife, can you shoot him when he pulls it out to show it to you? After all, if he’s able to take the knife out of the case and hold it that means he has the ability to use the knife. If he’s standing two feet away from you then he has the opportunity to reach over and stab you. However, you’re missing that crucial third element because he’s not threatening you with the knife and saying he’s going to kill you, so obviously you can’t draw your gun and shoot him.
Now let’s say you’re walking out of the Bass Pro Shops and you’re in the parking lot and it’s late at night. About 50 yards away you see a crazy person waving a large sword back and forth calling you names and saying he’s going to chop your head off. In this instance, can you draw your gun and take a nice “sniper” shot at this fellow whose 50 yards away? Obviously not. He may be manifesting intent by saying he’s going to kill you. He may have the ability to cut or stab you with the sword, but he’s 50 yards away in a parking lot so he does not have the opportunity to harm you. If you ever find yourself in that situation I hope you’ll get the heck out of the parking lot and call police. Of course, only you will truly know if you feel your life is in immediate danger or if someone is going to cause you serious bodily injury. For instance, if you happen to be a woman who is walking across a parking lot late at night and some guy walks past you and says “Hey lady, how about you come party with me and have a good time,” can you justify drawing your gun on him? I don’t think so and I wouldn’t recommend it. On the other hand, if you’re walking across the same parking lot and a guy walks up to you, puts his arm around you and says, “Hey lady, you’re coming with me to party, don’t say a word,” then you may be justified in drawing your gun if you’re in fear for you life. I hope all women (and men) remember that you are allowed to use deadly force if someone is trying to rape you or kidnap you. An interesting statistic when it comes to rape is that if a rapist tries to rape a woman he is successful 30% of the time. But if a rapist tries to rape a woman who is carrying a gun he is successful only 3% of the time. In other words, if you are carrying a gun there is a 97% chance you will not be raped. Also, remember that when it comes to using deadly force your attacker does not have to have a knife or a gun to justify using deadly force. What I’m referring to is disparity of force. For instance, if you happen to get out of your car at the shopping mall and five guys run up to you and start attacking you and are going to beat you to death then you are justified in using your firearm because obviously those five guys don’t need to have a weapon to kill you. Another example of disparity of force is an attacker going after a person who is handicap. If a 25-year-old kid in great shape comes up to an 85year-old grandma in a wheel chair and starts punching and beating her then I believe she can legally draw her firearm and use it if need be. Personally, I’m 6’1” and weigh about 175 pounds. If I was taking a walk in my neighborhood and a 6’7”, 450 pound football player tackled me and was trying to beat the life out of me then I would feel justified in using my gun. Also, training and reputation come into play in the use of deadly force. If you know a person is a martial arts expert or a Navy SEAL before they attack you then that comes into consideration for your legal defense. However, it is important to note that this only comes into play if you knew the person was a martial arts expert before the incident. If you shoot someone and find out after the fact they are a ninth-degree black belt you cannot use that information in court because you did not know about it beforehand. In other words, you cannot use the information because it was not part of the reason for the way you reacted at the time of the incident. Now, if the time ever comes that you find yourself in a situation where deadly force is justified you need to remember that you shoot to stop the threat. What I mean by that is I often get questions from students I train about how many rounds they are allowed to shoot if their life is in danger. In short, the number of rounds doesn’t matter when you’re shooting in a self-defense situation as long as you stop shooting once you’ve stopped the threat. If you shoot seven rounds at the guy running at you with a knife, and you see him keel over and lay there incapacitated, then it took seven rounds to stop him. However, if it takes 15 rounds to stop the guy then by all means shoot 15 rounds. If you shoot all 15 rounds and he’s still coming after you, then reload and continue shooting until he’s not trying to take your life anymore.
There are so many variables in the number of rounds it takes to bring a person down. How big are they? Where is your shot placement? Are they on any type of drugs? When I was in the police academy years ago, we went over a home invasion case where it took the homeowner more than 20 rounds to kill the person because they were on PCP. Don’t forget though, once you’ve stopped the threat you need to stop shooting. If you kill a home invader and walk up to him and put one in the head for good measure it’s not going to look very good for you in our court system. Also, let’s say you shot the person seven times and he’s down on the ground not moving, however he’s alive and breathing. At this point he’s no longer a threat to you so you should stand there with your gun on him until the police arrive and please don’t follow the often joked about advice, “the best witness is a dead witness.” In a self-defense shooting it makes no difference whether the guy lives or dies. What matters is that you shot as many rounds as you needed to stop that person from killing you. Also, when it comes to the number of rounds, you’ll have no idea how many you shot anyway. When you’ve had the adrenaline dump you won’t know if you’ve shot five rounds or nine. Oftentimes I hear people say that you need to count the number of rounds you shoot so that you know when to reload, especially if you’re carrying a 5-shot snub nosed revolver. That advice is nonsense. Nobody is going to count their rounds in a life and death situation, so just make sure you shoot until you’ve stopped the bad guy from coming after you and your family. Obviously, this is the mistake that was made by the pharmacist I told you about at the beginning of this chapter. After the threat was stopped, he went back and put five more bullets in the robber, which is why he got convicted of murder. Protecting Life vs. Property
An important aspect to remember about the use of deadly force is that it only applies to the protection of life, not property. If you and your spouse are out on a date and are walking out of a movie theater and someone runs at your spouse with a knife, you are allowed to shoot that person. In fact, it doesn’t matter if you even know the person. As long as someone is trying to kill them or cause seriously bodily injury you are allowed to use deadly force to save that individual. However, deadly force laws do not apply to property. If you happen to be sitting in your living room one day and you hear your car start in your driveway, you cannot run out of your house and shoot the thief as he drives off with you car. If you see someone running out of your house carrying your laptop when you come home from walking your dog, you cannot chase the guy with the laptop and shoot him. In these types of instances the smartest thing you can do is to call the police and give a detailed description of the criminal. In other words, be the best witness possible. Deadly Force in the Home
Many states have adopted the Castle Doctrine. Simply put, a person’s home is their castle and if someone tries to attack you in your home you are allowed to use deadly force and you do not have a duty to retreat. Also, if you do end up shooting someone and it’s justified you cannot be sued civilly in court. Now whether or not your state has the Castle Doctrine, you shouldn’t try and confront a person breaking into your home if at all possible. For example, if it’s 3:00am and you hear a window break or
someone trying to bust down your front door, the smartest thing you could do is gather your family into one of the bedrooms. Next, lock the door, call the police and let them come and do their job. In this specific instance the only time you should have to use deadly force is if someone tries to get into the bedroom where you and your family are. If they break down that bedroom door then by all means shoot that person and protect your family. If you know that someone is trying to get into your house and you’re unable to get your family all together in one bedroom then you need to go to the top of the stairs. The reason being, that’s the “choke point” and if the person gets past you on the stairs they have access to your family. If you ever find yourself at the top of the stairs I would make some type of announcement to the intruder such as “I have a gun, I’ve called the police, get out of my house now.” Since many criminals are petty thieves, an announcement like that will likely have them fleeing your house in a hurry. However, if you’re dealing with a psychopath who decides to ignore your warning and starts charging up the stairs at you, you better shoot and stop him because if he gets passed you, your family is in trouble. But what about the times you hear a bump in the night and you’re not sure if someone is in your house and you’re forced to go investigate? Well, going and investigating your house at night is the last thing you want to do, but I realize it’s sometimes necessary. First off, make sure you have a quality flashlight. This flashlight should be close by your bed next to your gun. As I mentioned earlier, the brand of flashlight I prefer is SureFire. Next, make sure you know how to properly “slice the pie” when you’re going around corners in the house so you don’t expose your entire body. In case you’re not familiar with the term, slicing the pie is a method used to clear corners and doorway entrances where you clear each area in small slices. (I’ve included a bonus article at the end of this book that teaches you exactly how to clear your house and slice the pie.) If by chance, you come around a corner and see an intruder standing in your kitchen I would yell in a very loud voice “Don’t move.” If the intruder doesn’t listen to you and starts to run towards you then shoot and stop him. But let’s say the intruder throws his hands in the air and begs you not to shoot, then what do you do? Well, someone in your house needs to be calling the police. Next, do not try and approach the intruder to handcuff them or tie them up. This is a very bad idea and could get you killed. Also, do not approach them to retrieve a gun or knife they have left on the counter or the floor. What you want to do is have them raise their hands high into the air if they aren’t already doing so. Then you tell them to slowly kneel on both knees and emphasize that they are supposed to go slowly and are not to make any sudden moves. Once they are on their knees tell them to cross their ankles. Then tell them to put one hand out in front of them and slowly lay flat on their stomach. After they are on their stomach tell them to put their hands out to the side as if they are an airplane and tell them to turn their head to the side so they are looking away from you. Once they are fully on the ground in this position simply remain where you are with your gun pointed at them. By the way, whoever is calling the police in this situation should let the dispatcher know you have an intruder at gunpoint. Make sure your family member gives a description of what you look like and have that family member meet the police in the front of the house if possible, so they can come in first and tell you to holster your firearm. Also, if you’re ever clearing your house and you come across an intruder who is fleeing your house out the backdoor, or any door in your house for that matter, do not shoot the person. Let them continue to run out the door and get a good description of the person to give to police. I know I’ve said it many times already in these pages, but remember that you are only justified in using deadly force when you are in immediate fear for your life or serious bodily injury. There is absolutely no other reason your gun should be leaving your holster. Also, don’t forget, I am not a
lawyer (thank goodness) and you should seek competent legal advice when it comes to deadly force laws, which is exactly what I’m going to show you how to do next.
Sometimes I’d Rather Take an L-Pill Than Deal With a Lawyer L-Pill - A pill containing poison, used by intelligence operatives to commit suicide. Lawyers aren’t all that bad. I’m sure 1% of lawyers are good people. In fact, several times at the Agency we’d have to get on the phone and call the Agency lawyer and say, “Hey, we want to do ‘so and so’, can we do it, is it legal?” So, a few times an Agency lawyer kept us out of jams and came in handy. However, those times are rare, which is why I really don’t like lawyers. Not because the majority of people think it’s funny to say that, but because I’ve had enough business dealings over the years to know that most of them are dishonest and can’t be trusted. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about the defense attorney who represents a murderer or anything like that. As bad as that killer is they are still entitled to fair representation from an attorney thanks to the rights we have in this country. What I’m referring to is the lawyer who double bills his clients. Or the lawyer who tries to charge thousands of dollars for work they claim took them hours, when in reality it couldn’t have taken half as long as they say. Or, the lawyer who has an assistant he pays $20 an hour and bills out at $100 an hour and bills her out even when she isn’t doing any work at all. I could go on and on, but you get my point. But guess what? As much as I dislike lawyers, my wife is currently in law school and by the time you’re reading this she may already be an attorney. How’s that for irony? Of course, in case you’re wondering, she’s obviously among the 1% who are good, honest people. Also, as much as you and I dislike lawyers, if you choose to carry a handgun then you absolutely need to find a good self-defense lawyer and you need to find one as soon as possible. The worst thing you can do is to wait until the day you have to shoot someone for trying to kill your family and have to flip through the yellow pages in jail trying to locate someone. So how exactly do you find a self-defense lawyer? It’s not as bad as you might think. First off, ask all of the firearms instructors in your area and they should be able to give you a referral or two. If for some reason they don’t know of a lawyer, then go to your local gun shops and ask around. Lastly, you can call the NRA and they’ll give you a list of lawyers in your area.
If you ask the sources above, then the same names will probably pop up over and over. This is a good sign and you’ll want to call these attorneys and interview them. You’ll want to ask if they’ve ever handled a self-defense shooting, how many cases have they’ve tried and can you get their phone number to carry around in your wallet at all times. Remember, you are the one interviewing them. Don’t let them intimidate you, or avoid your questions. This person might keep you out of jail one day so make sure, as much as possible, that they know what they’re doing. If for some reason all they do is brag to you or they talk about all the criminal cases they’ve done (but not self-defense) then find someone else. You see, you need someone who knows how to try a self-defense case when the person is innocent. You don’t want a criminal attorney who is used to using a bunch of tricks to get scumbags off because this will not work for you. For instance, my personal self-defense attorney is one of the NRA’s former lawyers. He’s certainly not the cheapest guy around but in addition to my gun, my holster, and the training I do, my attorney is on my list of things never to be cheap about in life. In addition to the obvious factor of being able to call him if I’m ever involved in a shooting, perhaps the most important thing is the discussions we’ve had about how to deal with the police after a shooting, what to say, and what not to say. I’m going to go into the detail of what to do in the aftermath of a shooting in the next chapter. However, if you happen to carry concealed and don’t have a lawyer yet, please change that ASAP. I’d hate to see you preserve your life from a criminal only to get screwed by the legal system because you didn’t have a quality attorney.
For Your Eyes Only: How to Legally Handle the Aftermath of a Shooting Eyes Only – Documents that may be read, however they can never be discussed. While at the Agency I would often deal with “Eyes Only” documents. This means you would read something extremely secretive or serious and be fully briefed and then you wouldn’t talk about it. Well, that’s one of the most important things I believe you need to remember about the aftermath of a shooting – not talking right after the incident and keeping your mouth shut. For instance, let’s say at 4:00am one morning you hear your kitchen window smash and then a loud thump in your kitchen as someone crawls through the window. You quickly grab your selfdefense firearm, which is close to your bed and “locked and loaded” with a round in the chamber all ready to go. You don’t have time to gather all of your family members into the same room and lock the door, so you run to the top of the stairs with your gun and make the following announcement. “I have a gun, get out of my house, I’ve called the police.” You’ve got the gun pointed down the stairs as you slightly lean out from behind a wall, intelligently utilizing cover. As your heart is about to burst out of your chest you hear foot steps coming towards the stairs and a crazy looking man who’s probably on drugs screams at you and begins running up the stairs toward you with a knife in his hand. You fire several shots at this intruder and he only makes it a few steps before he falls backwards to the ground. You stop firing after you see you’ve stopped the threat and at the bottom of the stairs lay the man who just tried to kill you. What do you do right now after you’ve had to use deadly force to protect your life and your family member’s lives? Well, remember, I am not an attorney and you need to seek legal advice. But I’m going to tell you what my attorney has advised me to do and what I plan to do if I ever find myself in this situation. First, if I have to run to the top of the stairs to stop an intruder, my wife will be calling the police while she remains in the bedroom. If for someone reason the events unfolded so quickly that the police had not been called, this would be the first thing I did after I was forced to shoot the intruder. Right after the police had been called, the very next call would be to my lawyer. I would tell him what happened and tell him I needed his assistance immediately.
After these two calls had been made I would remain at the top of the steps until the police arrived. I would not go to the bottom of the stairs to see if the intruder was alive, I would remain right where I was with my gun on the threat in case he decided to get up and come at me again. Once the police arrived on scene I would obviously put away my gun. When they began processing the scene and asked me what happened, this is the only thing I would say: “That guy just tried to kill me and I would like to talk to my attorney.” I would not say anything else. I would let them know that my life was in danger and that I wanted to talk to a lawyer. It’s very simple and nothing more needs to be said. I realize there’s a lot of advice floating around on what to say when the cops show up and most of it in my opinion is terrible advice and sounds robotic. After all, if you’ve just had to shoot someone are you really going to remember the five phrases that last month’s gun magazine told you to say? Or, are you going to say to the police officer “hold on one second. I need to go to my office and grab my concealed carry worksheet that lists exactly what to say to you. I’ll be right back.” I don’t think so. In the aftermath of a shooting you want to keep things very simple, so tell the cop you were in fear for your life and request a lawyer. After that, don’t say a word. Nothing good can happen from running your mouth and you’ll only get yourself into trouble. For example, what happens if the police officer asks you how many shots you fired? What if you believe it was five and it turns out you shot the intruder eight times? Well, this makes you look like a liar even if you believe you only shot the guy five times. The thing is, in a self-defense shooting nobody remembers how many shots they fired and people are often off by several rounds. So no matter what, don’t answer questions by the police until you’re with your lawyer and have had time to calm down and compose yourself after the incident. Now, once you request your lawyer and refuse to talk to the police, one of two things will happen. You will either get arrested or you won’t. Whether or not you get arrested includes a lot of factors such as what does the scene look like (is it clearly a self-defense situation) and are y ou in a gun friendly state or a crazy, terrible state like Maryland, California, New Jersey or New York that you shouldn’t be living in anyway. If you are arrested they’ll take you down to the jail and process you. If you get arrested during the week you’ll likely be out in a few hours, but if you get arrested late on a Friday night you’ll probably have to spend the weekend in jail until the Magistrate is back on Monday morning. However, if you were justified in using deadly force I would not worry about getting arrested or going to jail. If you were defending your life and that of your family, you shouldn’t have any problems with the legal system as long as you don’t talk without your lawyer and as long as you get a good lawyer who knows how to handle a self-defense case. Also, in case you are arrested and in case you don’t have the chance to call your lawyer because the police are on scene quickly, I’ve created what I call my “Aftermath Contacts” form. You see, the reason people like you and me own guns are because we’re intelligent enough to realize it’s a form of insurance. Of course, we pray our house never burns down, or we never get in a car crash or someone never tries to kill us, but we’ve got insurance for all three. The “Aftermath Contacts” form is part of my insurance and part of being prepared so that if I ever have to defend myself with a firearm, my loved ones know exactly who to call and what to do. In other words, this form is a simple document that is kept in one or more safe locations where my family members have access to it. The first item on the form is my lawyer’s complete contact information. This includes his phone number and email address. The second item is the contact information of the expert witness that I plan to use along with his phone number and email address. However, my family has been instructed
to give this information to my lawyer so he can call the expert witness. My family is not to call him on their own. Next, my family is supposed to have my lawyer contact a private investigator and to have that investigator go to the scene and take pictures. My family is also instructed to go and take pictures if at all possible. I also have a place to put the name of a close friend or family member to come and be with my wife to comfort her and be with her as she’s doing all of this. After that is a place to contact someone to start arranging bail. Perhaps you have a wealthy family member or friend or someone you know who could lend you a large amount of money at a moment’s notice. If you don’t know anyone who could come up with a lot of money, this form also has a place to put the contact information of several bail bondsmen. Because I believe this form is so important and it only takes a few minutes to fill out, make sure you register this book to get a copy. Then print it off, fill it out, and store it in a safe place. You’ll hopefully never need it, but at least your family knows what to do if you ever have to use deadly force to defend your life. Now that you know how to legally handle the aftermath of a shooting, let me share with you the physical and emotional implications of being forced to defend yourself with a gun.
How to Emotionally Handle a Wet Affair Wet Affair – Results in death of target or major bloodshed. As I mentioned earlier, I have had to draw my firearm on more than one occasion but I have thankfully never had to use it. However, whether you draw your gun and the threat disappears or whether you have to pull the trigger, your body will go through some extreme changes. Obviously, if you are forced to pull the trigger to defend your life, the changes will be much more profound. What you need to remember is that almost every person experiences these changes. So if the day comes that you find yourself in a shooting situation, it’s important to remind yourself that what you’re feeling is normal and you’re not alone. The first thing that will happen in a high stress situation is that you will lose your fine motor skills. In other words, your physical coordination will go to heck in a hand basket. This is why I tell the average shooter to get a gun such as the Glock because it doesn’t have any external safeties to manipulate. If a new shooter is trying to manipulate the safety on a 1911 handgun they might not be able to flip it off and the safety might get them killed. This is also the reason I love revolvers because they are also simple like the Glock. If you ever find someone coming at you with a knife or threatening your life in any manner you will get severe tunnel vision as you focus on the threat. Everything else around will seem to disappear. This is why after you shoot the threat or after it runs away, you must remember to move your head to the left, move your head to the right, and look over your shoulder. This is the only way to break the tunnel vision, and because criminals travel in packs you need to make sure that just because you took care of one threat, another isn’t standing close by. It’s been reported that during a lethal confrontation 84% of people experience auditory exclusion. When a person is threatening your life you will be concentrating so hard on them that almost all sounds will be blocked out. This means if a family member is right next to you shouting, you probably won’t hear them. Also, many gunfight survivors report that they didn’t hear the shots go off or that the sound of the shots was very low and muffled.
Although this next symptom is not often talked about, if you’re ever in a deadly force situation you will likely go to the bathroom on yourself and it will probably be more than urine if you get my drift. There is nothing you can do about this and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. It is simply the body’s natural reaction to a high stress situation. If you’ve ever given a public speech or have been out of your comfort zone I’m sure your hands were shaking a little bit. It happens to everyone. During a lethal encounter you will find your entire body shaking, and as with the case of going to the bathroom on yourself, this is completely natural and there is nothing you can do about it. The reason your hands and legs begin to shake is because the body takes blood from these extremities and directs it to your heart and other large muscles so they can operate at 110%. In fact, if you ever find yourself in a dangerous situation and you’re not shaking, I would be worried that your body isn’t doing its job and operating at its highest level. Strangely enough, another phenomenon that happens during a deadly force situation is that you lose the ability to see colors and everything turns to black and white. This means your assailant could be in a bright orange shirt and you might never remember this fact. Time and space distortion also happens and is one of the main reasons you don’t want to talk to police after a deadly force situation. The shooting situation will seemed to have happened very slowly and the distance from where you were to the assailant will seem closer than it was. For instance, the shooting may have taken place at 10 yards but you may believe it happened at 5 yards. If 5 yards is what you tell police and they later find out it was twice this distance you will obviously look like you were telling a lie. The above symptoms are how you will feel during and right after a shooting, but how will you feel hours, days, and even months after the incident? First off, if you ever have to use deadly force to defend yourself you need to take time off work to deal with what you’re going through. It may be days or it may be weeks, but don’t try and jump back into your regular routine because you need to take care of your mental health. For a few days immediately after the incident you may have an adrenaline high. This means you may be anxious, unable to sleep and very jumpy. This makes perfect sense because somebody tried to take your life and your body may not be ready to go back to its normal relaxed state. It might be trying to protect you and to make sure that it’s safe to relax and someone won’t try and kill you again. You will likely experience denial. This is perfectly normal and nothing you need to worry about. You will have trouble believing that someone tried to kill you and that you were forced to shoot them. After all, none of us ever want to use a gun on another person, so it will take the mind awhile to process the fact that you actually had to do this. It may be days or may be immediately after the event, but you’ll likely experience euphoria. You will feel grateful to be alive and may want to jump for joy and shout from the rooftops with excitement. Obviously, if you’re involved in a shooting it may not be the best idea to start screaming, “yes, I got him, I made it and he didn’t” if you’re surrounded by a bunch of witnesses. Try and contain your joy for when you’re by yourself. Many gunfight survivors report insomnia. You may have trouble sleeping for days and weeks. When you are able to finally sleep you will probably have nightmares of the event and the nightmare will often be a replay of the shooting, except your bullets may not stop the attacker and they will keep coming at you.
Risk avoidance is also very common of a lethal encounter. You will become a lot more cautious and paranoid. You may not want to leave your house and go to the mall or to a restaurant because another attack could happen. Your appetite will disappear for a while. This is no surprise and you may lose a lot of weight because of your inability to eat a regular meal. Obviously, you need to take care of yourself and try and eat something. One of the most difficult symptoms to experience for many gunfight survivors is sexual dysfunction. For a healthy person who’s always had an active sex life it’s hard to deal with sexual impotence. The good news is this is just temporary and is part of the process of dealing with the aftermath of a traumatic event. Not surprisingly, combined with all of the above you will likely suffer from depression. Make sure you take care of your mental health and seek help if you need it. Don’t be too prideful to go talk to a therapist because this may be the key to putting your life back together and getting you back to “normal” again. One of the least often talked about effects of a lethal encounter is the “Mark of Cain” syndrome. In short, this means you become known as the person who killed someone. For example, if you have a friend who went through a divorce everyone may refer to that person as “John the divorced guy.” If you ever take a life you may be introduced at a party like this: “This is John, he had to kill someone last week.” Here’s the most important thing to remember about all of the symptoms you will suffer if you ever have to shoot someone in self-defense: Almost everyone goes through the same ranges of emotions and time heals all. Obviously, as tough as it may be emotionally, it’s better than being dead.
Since You’re Not an Agent of Influence, This Will Keep You Out of Jail Agent of Influence– An agent deep undercover, with influence among the members of a specific group. Working for the Agency gives you a lot of credibility and influence. I was issued a set of credentials and when I had to use those, they got me "certain things," which I can't go into detail about. It's the same thing as if the FBI showed up at your front doorstep and flashed a badge, which would give them credibility and influence over you. Or when you get pulled over for speeding and the cop is dressed in a uniform and driving a police car with lights and sirens, that gives him credibility and influence. Another way to gain credibility, and to influence others is by what other people say about you. For example, let's say you were in Russia trying to recruit an asset. What's one of the best ways to get close to that person and to begin making them feel comfortable with you (and to influence them)? You would first try and get close to their friends. Perhaps the person they played tennis with every week or their personal trainer at the gym. Once you become friends with these people they will introduce you to the asset and you will have instant credibility and trust with them, and eventually influence. Here's how I'm sure the same thing has happened to you: You were supposed to meet your friends at a bar for happy hour. One of your friends brings someone new along. Since this person is with a close friend of yours, you let your guard down and immediately feel more comfortable with that person. The Agency knows this and takes advantage of it all of the time. So do all of the intelligence organizations. The next time a gorgeous Russian woman shows up at happy hour with one of your female friends - and she’s paying way too much attention to you - ask your friend where she met her. When she says "I just met Svetlana at the gym last week, we work out at the same time every day." Your radar should be going off and you should be careful what you say and do. You might think the story about "Svetlana" is a joke, but it happens all the time. Foreign intelligence services know that a popular place for Agency employees to hang out is in Georgetown
(Washington, DC). I've never been pitched while I was down there, but I know people who have. Now, I imagine that if you’re reading this you’re probably not a spy or working for the CIA or FBI. In other words, you might not have the “influence,” or in better terms, the credentials, that come with these positions. What I mean is, when I had my credentials I was allowed to carry a gun places that would land the average person in jail. However, now that I no longer work for the Agency I don’t get to enjoy these “perks” and I have to make sure to abide by the laws of where I’m legally allowed to carry my concealed firearm. So let’s go over these laws right now so you know where you’re legally allowed to carry and where you’re not allowed to carry. After all, you don’t want to be going through the metal detector at the airport when they find a gun on you. You’ll be arrested on the spot and will probably spend some time in jail and be several thousand dollars lighter in your bank account. So, the airport is the first place you cannot bring a firearm. However, you are allowed to have a firearm if you are checking it in your luggage and you follow the airline’s rules. I do it all of the time for training classes and I have never had a problem. In fact, I often used to fly out of BaltimoreWashington International Airport in the crazy state of Maryland and it’s always been a piece of cake. But, if you are checking a firearm in your luggage, make sure and follow these steps: Before you leave your house unload the firearm. Lock it in a hard-sided case such as the case the gun came in. Next, put a padlock on the case and throw the case inside your luggage. When you get to the airport walk up to the ticket representative and tell them that you need to declare a firearm and ammunition. After you inform them of this, they will take out a small card and tell you to sign it. The card says you affirm you have an unloaded firearm and that you are legally allowed to carry a firearm. Once you have signed the card you open up the container with your firearm, place the card on top, then lock it back up and put it in your luggage. Always remember that the gun goes in your checked baggage and never, ever, try to put it in your carry-on. As far as carrying ammunition in your luggage, it has to be in a container and the cardboard and plastic container it’s sold in works just fine. The one rule about ammo is that you can only have 11 pounds of ammunition per suitcase. If you ever attend one of my training courses, remind me to tell you how I found this out. Another place where you’re not allowed to carry your gun is inside any law enforcement or correctional facility. Do not walk into the police station or local jail with your gun on your side. If you ever have to go to any of these places remember to leave your gun in your car. If you’ve got a cousin, brother, mother-in law or anyone else you know in a mental institution, you cannot carry your gun with you when going to visit them in the rubber-padded room. This is another place where the gun needs to remain in the car. If you ever find yourself in the rubber-padded room, remind your friends not to carry concealed when they come to pay you a visit. You cannot carry your gun in federal buildings owned or leased by the government. So the next time you go to the Post Office to buy stamps and you end up standing in line for an hour because they’ve only got one person working during the lunch hour, make sure your gun is not with you. When it comes to the ability to carry in church it all depends on your state laws. Obviously, if you live in a terrible state such as California or Maryland or New Jersey, then you probably don’t have a concealed firearms permit anyway so you don’t even have the option of carrying in church. But if you live in a gun-friendly state then you need to research your state laws. In many states, you are allowed to carry a gun in church unless your church has prohibited it. A church can do this by putting up a no firearms sign or advertising no guns are allowed in the church newsletter or on a bulletin board or any number of ways.
Hopefully, you attend a church that allows you to carry concealed because we know in the last several years there has been an increase in church shootings all over the country. For instance, in Lakeland, Florida, a gunman burst through the doors of the Greater Faith Christian Church and shot the pastor and associate pastor before members of the congregation quickly subdued him. In Colorado Springs, Colorado, a gunman entered the New Life Church and shot six people as the morning services were coming to an end. A member of the church security team, who no doubt, saved dozens of lives that day, killed the gunman. At 8:15am one Sunday morning, a man walked up the aisle of the First Baptist Church in Maryville, Illinois, to speak with the pastor. He whispered a few words to the pastor and then opened fire on him shooting him three times with a .45 caliber gun. The pastor died on the scene but the gunman was not able to take any other lives that day as church members quickly tackled him. These are terrible tragedies, but even if the church you belong to has their own security team, I would still consider carrying your own firearm if you are legally allowed to do so. The ability to carry a firearm on school grounds is regulated by the state, just like the ability to carry in church. For example, in the state of Virginia you are not allowed to carry a gun inside a school. You are only allowed to carry concealed if you stay inside your vehicle while on school grounds (such as picking your child up from school.) However, in the state of Utah you are allowed to carry a gun while inside the school and teachers and parents do it all of the time. If you enjoy the great outdoors, as I do, then I imagine you’d like to be armed when you’re camping or hiking in the middle of nowhere. The good news is when it comes to national parks, national forests and state forests it all defers to the state that you live in. For instance, if you live in a gun-friendly state then you’ll likely be able to carry a gun anytime you go trekking in the great outdoors. But if you live in a state that doesn’t have a concealed firearms permit then you obviously won’t be able to carry anywhere you go outdoors. Just remember, everything above is general in nature and you need to know your individual state laws for where you’re allowed and not allowed to carry a concealed firearm.
These Dirty Tricks Could Land You in Jail for the Next 5-10 Years Dirty Tricks - Covert sabotage carried out by a security service or intelligence agency, ranging from pranks to assassination. When it comes to federal gun laws I highly encourage you not to pull any “dirty tricks” and to take these laws very seriously. If, by chance, you violate any of these laws (and get caught) you’ll find yourself behind bars for the next several years and you’ll never be able to carry a gun for the rest of your life. The first law that could get you in trouble is the “straw” purchase. This means you purchase a gun for another person, and when buying the gun and filling out the forms you lie and say the gun is for you. Since this one can be slightly confusing, let me give you a good example, which is taken directly from the governments Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms website. Straw Purchase Attempt Transcript Bobby -- That’s it, Mr. Thomas, the black one — right there. Mr. Thomas -- Okay, I see it. Carla -- Can I help you with something? Mr. Thomas -- Yes, we’ll take that one right there. Carla -- You’re Mr. Thomas, right? Mr. Thomas -- Yes, I am. Carla -- Is this your son? Mr. Thomas -- No, this is my neighbor Bobby. Mr. Lucas -- Can I see you for a minute, Carla? Carla -- Sure Mr. Lucas. What is it? Mr. Lucas -- Do you think we should sell that gun to Mr. Thomas?
Carla -- I don’t think that it would be a legal transaction. It looks like Mr. Thomas wants to buy the gun for Bobby, who is obviously underage. Also, Mr. Thomas isn’t Bobby’s parent or guardian. Mr. Lucas -- You’re right. There are two problems here. First, it looks like Mr. Thomas might be attempting to make an illegal “straw purchase” on Bobby’s behalf. Second, since Bobby is obviously under 21 it is unlawful for Western Arms to sell him a handgun. Whenever you doubt the legality of a firearms acquisition, you should deny the transaction. In this particular case, we’ll deny the sale. Carla -- I’m sorry sir, I can’t sell you the handgun. You appear to be buying the gun for Bobby rather than for yourself. Also, I am prohibited under Federal law from selling a handgun to anyone under the age 21. This transaction is illegal.
Here’s a pamphlet with more information about some current federal handgun laws. Mr. Lucas -- Good work Carla. You handled that well. Carla -- Do straw purchases only involve underage customers? Mr. Lucas -- Not always. A straw purchase is a purchase in which the actual purchaser uses someone else — a.k.a. the “straw person” to make the purchase and complete the paperwork. Generally straw purchasers are utilized because the actual purchaser is not eligible to conduct a transaction because they’re in one or more legally prohibited categories, such as being addicted to a controlled substance, being a felon, being underage, and so on.
However, a straw purchase occurs even when the actual purchaser is not a prohibited person. The crime committed is knowingly making a false statement on the Form 4473 indicating that the straw purchaser is the actual purchaser, when this is not the case. Felons, who are also prohibited from conducting a firearms transaction, will sometimes attempt to obtain guns this way, because they wouldn’t pass the NICS background check and could not truthfully fill out Form 4473. If, however, Bobby was with his father or other legal guardian, and his father was legally eligible to obtain the handgun as a gift for Bobby, his father would fill out Form 4473, undergo the NICS check, and assume legal responsibility for the transaction and the gun. Bobby’s father could truthfully complete the Form 4473 to indicate that he is the actual purchaser because he would take title to the weapon and then transfer the firearm to Bobby as a gift. Carla -- What if a customer who qualifies to own a gun buys a firearm as a gift for someone else? Mr. Lucas -- The same rules apply. A transaction is legal as long as the person who fills out form 4473 does so truthfully and completes it as the actual purchaser. In that particular situation, we usually like to make sure they are aware of the rules associated with ATF I 5300.2. Again, you should feel comfortable denying the purchase if you think the customer is being dishonest in any way. Carla -- Suppose Bobby wanted to buy something other than a handgun, like a rifle or a shotgun? Would he still be ineligible? Mr. Lucas -- Bobby would have to be 18 or older to buy a long gun from a Federal firearms licensee. Even then, if he can’t provide the appropriate photo identification, or if you believe he’s misrepresenting himself, you should deny the sale. Narrator -- Keep in mind that a straw purchase is a purchase in which the actual purchaser uses someone else — a.k.a. the “straw person” — to purchase the firearm and complete the paperwork. Generally, the straw purchaser is used because the actual purchaser is not eligible to conduct a transaction because he or she is a felon or other prohibited person. However, a straw purchase occurs even when the actual purchaser is not a prohibited person. The crime committed is knowingly making a false statement on the Form 4473 indicating that the straw purchaser is the actual purchaser, when
this is not the case. Additionally make sure you familiarize yourself and anyone who purchases a firearm as a gift with the rules associated with the ATF I 5300.2 pamphlet. As the story states, if you get caught illegally buying a gun for another person there’s a good chance you’ll get caught and go to jail for several years. So the next time the crack head on the corner asks you to buy him a gun, resist the temptation. Another federal law that I encourage you to abide by is the Interstate Transportation of Firearms, which says, “Notwithstanding any other provision of any law or any rule or regulation of a State or any political subdivision thereof, any person who is not otherwise prohibited from transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm shall be entitled to transport a firearm for any lawful purpose from any place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm to any other place where he may lawfully possess and carry such firearm if, during such transportation the firearm is unloaded, and neither the firearm nor any ammunition being transported is readily accessible or is directly accessible from the passenger compartment of such transporting vehicle. In the case of a vehicle without a compartment separate from the driver's compartment the firearm or ammunition shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console.” To help clear up the above, let me give you an example. Let’s say you live in the gun-friendly state of North Carolina and you’re getting ready to attend a firearms training class in Pennsylvania. This means that you’ll have to drive through the pain-in-the-butt state of Maryland to get to your final destination. Since North Carolina and Maryland do not have reciprocity for your concealed firearms permit you cannot carry your gun on you while traveling through this state. This means when you enter Maryland your gun needs to be unloaded and in a case in the back of your trunk. Once you get into Pennsylvania you can load back up again. This example is one of the many reasons you need to plan ahead when traveling long distances with your gun. You need to know which states have reciprocity with your state’s permit and the states where you’re not allowed to carry concealed. The selling of firearms is another topic that the government takes pretty darn seriously. Just like you’re not supposed to do a straw purchase and buy a gun for somebody else, you’re obviously not supposed to sell a gun to someone who isn’t able to legally possess a firearm. In other words, if you go to sell a gun to the fellow who lives down the street from you and he asks if your 9mm Glock would be able to kill his ex-wife, it’s probably not a good idea to sell that guy a gun. Please note, if you have any questions about following any of the laws above make sure you check the government’s website. You don’t want to play around with any of these laws because you could go to jail for a long time. Also, this may be an instance where you would want to contact a lawyer and talk to him or her if you’re concerned about violating any of the above laws. Remember, you need to have a self-defense lawyer on hand anyway, so when you’re talking with them it would be a good time to go over the laws you’re unsure about.
How to Decide If This Backstop Is Appropriate For You Backstop - An arrangement between two persons for the express purpose of substantiating a cover story or alibi. While at the Agency, we’d often get calls that went something like this: “Hi, this is Mary Smith with ABC Corporation. I’m calling to verify that John Jones works for XYZ Corporation.” We’d put Mary Smith on hold, figure out what the backstop was for John Jones and then say “Yes, Mrs. Smith, that is correct,” and we would have just backstopped John Jones and kept his cover and prevented him from being exposed. You see, one of the most fascinating aspects of working at the Agency was the maze of dummy corporations and fake paper trails and backstops used, which make it virtually impossible to trace an item or person back to the Agency. For instance, I’d be at one Top Secret training site and we’d have one cover story if people asked us what we were doing and a certain phone number to call if necessary. Then at another Top Secret training site we’d have another cover story and another phone number to call. When we went overseas we’d of course have a cover story and a certain telephone number to call if we got into trouble. Trying to figure out what vehicles the Agency owns or what buildings it rents would drive a person crazy. Because if they tried, they would just run into one dummy corporation after another, and they wouldn’t get anywhere. In other words, the Agency has multiple backstops to protect its people and other assets. Well, right now, I want to discuss with you a certain “backstop” you may want to consider when carrying concealed to protect your own “assets.” The “backstop” I’m referring to, and one that could end up saving your life one day isn’t a dummy corporation or a cover story, but instead, a backup gun. You see, the Agency has multiple backstops in place for multiple layers of protection. Having a backup gun on you adds another layer of protection in case something happens to your primary gun. Now, whether or not to carry a backup gun is a question that always creates a heated debate in the gun world. But like most questions when it comes to firearms, you need to do what’s right for you and what you feel comfortable with.
The good news is, these days’ gun companies make a plethora of small, concealed carry guns so there’s no excuse not being able to find the right gun for you. For example, my Smith & Wesson snubby is an excellent backup gun, whereas, obviously my Springfield 1911 is not. Some of the popular backup guns on the market today are the Glock 26, Kahr PM9, Ruger LC9, Kimber Solo Carry, Kel-Tec PF9, Sig P238, and pretty much any quality snub-nosed revolver. The reason you want to carry a backup gun is not only in case your primary gun malfunctions, but in case your primary gun gets taken away from you. For instance, there was a police officer in Florida who walked into a restaurant to get
The S&W snubby is a popular choice for a backup gun
dinner. The officer had no idea the restaurant was getting robbed at the time, and the two robbers were quickly able to take his gun away from him. The robbers told the police officer to get on his knees because they were going to kill him. The quick thinking officer asked if he could have a moment to pray. The robbers laughed at this request but allowed him to do it and as they were laughing he drew his backup gun and killed them both. As I already mentioned, a good reason to carry a backup gun is in case your primary gun has a malfunction. Even if you’re carrying a trusty Glock that’s built like a tank, it’s still a mechanical device that could fail. There have been far too many instances where a police officer in a gunfight was killed because their weapon jammed. If they’d had a backup gun it very well could have saved their life. Of course, this applies to civilians too.
Bend at the knee and use both hands to pull up the pant leg
If you carry your backup gun on your ankle, practice the draw often with a safe and empty weapon
Also, if your primary gun is a five-shot revolver, it’s a heck of a lot quicker to draw another revolver if your first one runs dry. As mentioned earlier, this is known as a “New York” reload, where instead of taking the time to load an empty gun, you simply transition to the backup. For example, during the infamous Miami shootout in 1986, Special Agent Ronald Risner quickly emptied his primary gun, a Smith & Wesson model 459. He then transitioned to his backup gun, which was a .38 Special revolver, instead of taking the time to reload his .459. Another important reason to carry a backup gun, and one that’s not often talked about, is in case you need to arm somebody else. Let’s say you and a friend were driving down the street when all of the sudden you saw two strange men walking towards you with butcher knives telling you to get out of the car. You could draw your primary gun and give your backup to your friend and each of you
could have a gun to use on the men if they were stupid enough to keep coming at you with knives. Of course, you would never give a backup gun to someone who didn’t know how to use it or who would cause more harm than good with the firearm. When it comes to the choice of gun you’re going to carry as a backup, you always need to take the time to find a gun that’s right for you. Go to your local gun shop and rent a bunch of guns and shoot as many as it takes to find one you’d be willing to regularly carry as a backup. However, if I were you, the lowest calibers I would get are either 9mm or .38 special. I would stay away from .22 or .32 or other smaller calibers because they just don’t have the stopping power and your life is more important than betting it on one of those tiny calibers. In fact, the New York City Police Department and other departments across the country require their police officers to have a backup gun in either 9mm or .38 special. So, if that’s the requirement of many police officers then it’s good enough for you and me too. Once you make the decision to get a backup gun you obviously need to figure out where you’re going to carry it. The two most popular places for the backup are either pocket carry or ankle carry. You can’t really go wrong with either location. The ankle holster will take a little bit of getting used to and as shown from the pictures on the previous pages you need to practice your draw from this location. If you decide to carry in your pocket simply make sure that you use a pocket holster. The bottom line is, there are many problems that can arise with your primary gun, and over the years the backup gun has saved numerous lives. However, you must remember to train with your backup gun often. Just because it’s a backup gun doesn’t mean you never train with it and you simply leave it in your holster for the next 30 years. That gun may one day save your life so you better know how to properly manipulate it and shoot with it just like you do with your primary gun.
The Secret of Making Sure You See Your Target at Night Target – The victim of surveillance, the subject. The majority of self-defense shootings occur during low-light or the n ight time. The exact statistics are all over the place, but I’ve most frequently seen them as saying 60% to 79% of shootings occur in these conditions. It’s for this very reason that I recommend you have a flashlight and carry it with you. At the very least you need to have a flashlight next to your bed for home protection purposes. The flashlight I use is the SureFire G2X Tactical light, but you can’t go wrong with any of the SureFire models. Once you’ve chosen your flashlight you obviously need to know how to use it for self-defense purposes. The first rule is to keep your flashlight in the same place at all times. If you’re going to carry a flashlight on your belt, make sure it’s always in the
The Harries is the most popular flashlight technique
Mike Harries created this technique in the early 1970’s
same location. If you’re going to carry it in your left pants pocket, it should always be in your left pants pocket. This also goes for where you keep it in your bedroom. Every night before I go to bed I make sure my flashlight is where it’s supposed to be and that it hasn’t been moved or used by somebody. Next, I would not recommend mounting your flashlight on your pistol. This causes the major problem of pointing a loaded gun at everything you shine your light on. If your 16-year-old son is sneaking in the basement and you run down there to shine a light to see who it is, I doubt you want to point the loaded firearm at your kid.
Since you’re not going to have a light on the gun, you need to learn one of several flashlight shooting techniques. By far, the most popular technique is the “Harries” method. It was developed in the 1970’s by Mike Harries, a former Marine. Simply put, if you’re a right-handed shooter you grab the flashlight with your left hand in the “ice pick” grip. In other words, the way you’re holding the flashlight should allow you to strike downward with force as if you’re stabbing someone. Also, your left thumb operates the pressure switch on the end of the flashlight. Once you have a solid grip on the light, bring your left hand underneath the gun and put your hands back to back. When you are doing this do not cross your hand in front of a loaded gun, make sure and bring the light underneath the pistol and not in front of it. Maintain pressure bringing both your wrists and the back of your hands together. Another popular flashlight technique is the Chapman, named after Ray Chapman, who won the world’s first pistol championship in 1975. With this technique you hold the flashlight in a “sword” grip and bring the flashlight alongside your gun. The thumb and forefinger grasp the light and your other three fingers wrap around your shooting hand. The major problem with this technique is that it was designed when the majority of flashlights had the on/off button on the side of the
Hold the light in a “sword” grip for the Chapman technique
The other three fingers wrap around the shooting hand
Bring the thumbs together for the Ayoob technique
The Ayoob technique is very similar to the Chapman
flashlight, unlike today’s tactical flashlights, which have the button on the end of the light. The Ayoob flashlight technique was developed by firearms instructor Massad Ayoob, author of many books, including In the Gravest Extreme, which I recommend you read. The Ayoob technique is very similar to the Chapman in that you hold the flashlight in the “sword” grip. The only difference is, instead of holding the flashlight underhand, you hold it overhand and you bring both thumbs together as if you’re shooting in the traditional “thumbs forward” grip. Former FBI Agent and firearms instructor Bill Rogers created the Rogers flashlight technique. This is where you hold the light in between your index finger and your middle finger. You bring the flashlight up to the side of the gun and have your thumbs touch and your other two fingers wrap around your shooting hand. This method allows you to get closer to a two handed grip than any other flashlight shooting technique. The Neck-Index technique seems to get more popular by the day and can be used with most flashlights, whether they’re big or small, and whether the pressure switch is on the end of the light or on the side. You use the “ice pick” grip for this technique and hold the flashlight right below your ear, close to your jaw and neck. An obvious disadvantage of this technique is that the flashlight is directly next to your head so if a bad guy is shooting at the light you’re in trouble. Of course, I can’t talk about flashlight techniques without mentioning the old FBI technique. This is where you hold the flashlight in the “ice pick” grip up in the air and away from your body. The theory behind this technique is that you’ll disorient an attacker because they won’t know where you’re at and if they shoot at the light they won’t hit you. This technique is good for clearing a room, but if you have to hold the flashlight for an extended period of time your arm becomes tired very quickly. Personally, the methods which I prefer are the Harries and the Neck-Index, but you need to figure out what works best for you. Also, don’t forget to practice reloads and clearing malfunctions with the flashlight. If you use a lanyard with your
In between the index and middle finger for Rogers
The Rogers technique is easy to do with a SureFire light
The Neck-Index technique brings the light close to the face
This technique allows you to easily maneuver the light
Hold the light away from your body for the FBI technique
The arm quickly gets fatigued using this technique
The SureFire G2X Tactical light is a solid choice for personal protection purposes
light you can simply let it drop and hang from your wrist when reloading. However, if you don’t use a lanyard, you’ll need to practice putting the light under your armpit with the light facing to the rear, when doing these exercises. In addition to practicing at home, don’t forget to take your flashlight to the range with you to practice these different techniques because you never know when a window will break at 3am and you’ll be extremely happy you learned one of these simple flashlight techniques.
Why This Type of Practice Could Help You With ICBM During a Gunfight ICBM – An acronym for instant calm breath method, a way to overcome the flightor-fight reflex (panic). Also reduces hyperventilation. One of the best ways to become a better shooter and to be better prepared for a gunfight so you don’t panic (as much) is through dry fire practice. Dry firing allows you to improve your skills by practicing repetition after repetition using a safe and empty weapon. For instance, you can work on your trigger control, your draw, reloading, sight picture, your stance, and various shooting positions, to name a few. Plus, dry fire is free since you’re not using any live ammunition and it’s convenient since you can dry fire in the comfort of your own home. However, dry fire training can be extremely dangerous if you don’t follow these steps: First, you need to pick a safe dry fire location and you need to know your backstop. For example, it’s obviously a terrible idea to dry fire in your bedroom if the wall you’re pointing the gun at leads to your children’s room. Make sure that if you have an accidental discharge while dry firing, the bullet will go into a stack of phone books, a bookshelf, a bulletproof vest or another safe backstop. Once you’ve chosen a safe location, make sure there is absolutely no ammunition in the area. Unload your gun in one room, leave the ammunition in that room and then go to your dry fire location, which needs to be in a separate room. When you enter your dry fire room, physically and visually check to make sure you have a safe and empty weapon. Check this twice. After you’re sure that your weapon is clear you can begin your dry fire training. I recommend training sessions that are 15-20 minutes long . Any longer and you begin to get fatigued and lose concentration. Also, if for any reason you get interrupted during your training you need to start all over. In other words, if your phone rings and you answer it (which you shouldn’t be doing) you need to start all over ensuring your weapon is clear, there is no ammo in the room, and you have a safe backstop.
Do not forget to do this. As I already mentioned, dry firing is dangerous and many people have been injured or killed when they thought they were using an empty gun. In fact, below is part of a heartbreaking newspaper story from the Daily Courier in Prescott, Arizona. It describes what happened when two men were “dry firing” in their hotel room after a day spent training at the Gunsite ranch. Quick draw’ practice ends in man’s death By MIRSADA BURIC-ADAM The Daily Courier PRESCOTT – A 38-year-old Mesa man accidentally shot and killed his best friend Wednesday night as they were practicing gun-handling techniques in their Prescott hotel room, Prescott police said. Greg Prophet, 38, of Mesa, died at the scene and now John Angal may face charges in connection with his death, which police believe to be a tragic accident, PPD Sgt. Pete Hodap said Thursday. At around 9 p.m. officers responded to the SpringHill Suites in the 200 block of East Sheldon Street, according to the PPD report. When officers arrived, they found Prophet on the floor with an apparent gunshot wound to the lower chest, the report says. Angal told police that the two of them had been attending a firearm class at the Gunsite Academy since Sunday, the report notes. The two of them went to dinner with another classmate, and when they returned they began practicing ‘quick draw’ techniques in their mutual room, the report says. But before starting the exercise, Angal allegedly failed to clear his .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun, the report says. At one point, “Angal pointed the weapon at Prophet and the next thing that he knew, the gun went off,” the report says. “Prophet then stated, ‘John, you shot me, call 911’ and fell to the floor.” “When our officers got there, he was administering CPR to his friend,” he said.
That is a terrible tragedy, which could have been avoided if the safety rules were followed because you never point your gun at anything you’re not willing to destroy. Once you’re finished with your dry fire training session, take down the target you were using and tell yourself “dry firing is done for the day.” Then you can get your ammo in the other room and safely load your gun again. Also, whatever you decide to work on, start slowly and practice perfectly. The speed will come later and there is no need to come out of the holster lightening quick if you can’t get a good grip on the gun, or if it gets stuck in your clothing every time. Get it right first and then you can make it fast.
I recommend dry firing several times a week. Believe it or not, if you start dry firing today, you’ll be amazed at how quickly your shooting skills improve over the next 30 days. Below is an example of a dry fire routine you could do during a typical 15-20 minute session: 1. 10 perfect trigger pulls starting with your arms fully extended 2. 10 perfect trigger pulls starting from the ready 3. 10 perfect trigger pulls starting from the holster 4. 5 perfect trigger pulls with the strong hand only 5. 5 perfect trigger pulls with the support hand only 6. 5 perfect trigger pulls starting with your hands in the air in the “surrender position.” Vary your routine so you don’t get bored and try and have a different routine for each day of the week. However, to again emphasize the extreme safety measures that need to go on during dry firing, I want to end this chapter with parts of another newspaper story describing a tragic dry fire incident. Stepfather Kills Girl in ‘Safe Gun’ Accident, Shoots Himself PACIFICA, Calif. — A man trying to prove that guns are safe accidentally killed his 15-year-old stepdaughter, then used the same pistol to take his own life after his wife refused to kill him, police said Friday. The New Year's Day tragedy began as labor negotiator Gordon Shadwick, 46, was "playing with" his 9-millimeter semi-automatic Smith & Wesson pistol in the living room of the family home in Pacifica, about five miles south of San Francisco, Burton said. He said Shadwick was "dry-firing" the gun without incident to show "that a gun that's not loaded is not a danger." But a final pull fired one round, and the slug struck the 15-yearold honor student in the head, killing her instantly.
The newspaper story continues to say that the man was so distraught after he shot his stepdaughter that he turned the gun on himself. Please, please, please, remember to be safe when dry firing.
How to Avoid Becoming a Victim of Executive Action Executive Action – Assassination. In addition to dry firing, if you want to make sure that some dirt bag criminal doesn’t end your life one day, you also need to do live-fire training. Yes, this means going to your local shooting range and practicing your stance, grip and trigger control. But you also need to take reality based shooting courses, which teach you how to shoot in many different conditions and positions. After all, if you ever have to defend your life from an attacker you likely won’t be shooting from the perfect position you had at your local gun range. You might be shooting on your knees, on your back, or with one-hand only. This is the reason you need to practice the following: Shooting from the kneeling position is fairly easy to do. It gives you a stable platform to fire from and allows you to quickly take cover behind an object such as a car or a wall. The most common kneeling position is when you drop straight down to your strong side knee and lean forward aggressively.
Drop straight down to your strong-side knee
Lean forward in an aggressive manner
Shooting from both knees can provide more stability
You must practice getting to your feet from this position
Another option you have is dropping down on both knees. This often provides more stability, however it has a major drawback. If you have to get up quickly during a gunfight it’s obviously a heck of a lot easier to get up from one knee than two. I recommend trying out both kneeling positions, however, I believe dropping to one knee is the far better position because it gives you the mobility to quickly get up and move, if need be, during a lethal encounter. Another position you’ll want to practice during your live-fire training is shooting from the prone position. You never know what strange circumstances you’ll find yourself in during your life, and you never know when you’ll have to get extremely low to the ground to adjust to the type of cover you’re using. There are two different ways to shoot from the prone position and I’ll cover both of them. Number one, drop straight down on both knees at the same time. Your right hand should acquire a firing grip on the gun as you’re dropping to your knees and your left hand should extend out with the palm down. As soon as your knees hit the ground your left hand should be on the ground bracing yourself to go forward and your right hand should draw the pistol and point it down range. Next, lower yourself to the ground as you slide your gun-hand forward with your arm on the ground and the heel of your hand on the ground. Once flat on the ground, slightly roll over to your gun-side, cross your left ankle over your right ankle and get a two-handed grip on the gun. Then, rest your right cheek on your bicep, acquire your sights and shoot, if need be. The other way to assume the prone position is when you simply drop straight to the ground from the standing position. Right as you begin to drop to the ground get a firing grip on the gun and begin your draw. Your left hand will hit the ground to brace your body and you will kick both of your feet out behind you until you are lying perfectly flat on the ground. You will extend both of your arms straight out forming a triangle as if you are shooting in the isosceles position. Also, you’ll want to have both heels of your hands on the ground to provide stability for the gun.
Grip your gun and brace yourself when going prone
Keep your muzzle pointed at the threat while going prone
Slide gun-hand forward with arm on the ground
Cross ankles and rest cheek on your bicep
Drop straight down with prone position #2
Kick your legs out and keep your muzzle on the threat
Arms straight out forming a triangle
Rest your cheek on your shoulder if it’s easier for you
Both of these prone positions work well and you need to find the one that feels most comfortable for you. However, if you happen to be a female with a large chest or you’re a male with a big old beer belly you might not be able to lay completely flat on your stomach and shoot from the second prone position I just described. More likely, you’ll want to use the first position where you slightly roll to your gun-side and shoot with your cheek on your bicep. Another shooting position, which you need to become familiar with, is the supine position where you’re shooting from your back. You never know when you’ll be trying to escape an attack and you’ll slip and fall and have to fire the gun from this position. You never know if a would-be rapist is going to throw you to the ground and force you to shoot from your back.
Let’s say you’re at the ATM one day and you’ve just taken out your money. As you’re walking to the car a man approaches you with a knife demanding money. As you’re back peddling trying to get away from him you trip over the sidewalk and fall on your butt. What should you do now? First, get a firing grip on your gun. Next, before you draw the gun, move your right leg slightly to the left so you don’t muzzle your leg when the gun comes out. This is critical to remember because in the heat of the moment you don’t want to accidentally shoot yourself in the leg. Once the gun is out, bring it on target and take care of the threat. Also, keep both of your feet as flat as possible when firing from this position. This will ensure you don’t shoot yourself in the foot, it will also allow you to more easily engage a moving threat if it happens to be running from side to side. What I don’t recommend is bringing your knees up and pinning the gun between both knees. This doesn’t give you the mobility to shoot to the left or the right if the threat moves, and there’s also the likelihood of shooting yourself in the leg. The next position we’re going to cover is the crouch. This is an uncomfortable position to be in and you don’t want to hold it for a long time. However, maybe you’ve come across a piece of cover that is a strange height. You can’t kneel behind it and you
Brace your fall and get a firing grip in the supine position
Roll to your left before drawing your gun in the supine
Do not muzzle your leg when you draw the gun
Keep your feet flat when shooting
Do not put the gun between your knees in the supine position
Your upper body forms an isosceles triangle when crouching
A shooter will quickly get fatigued in the crouching position
don’t want to stand straight up, so you’re forced to crouch. When you assume this position your upper body will be in the isosceles stance and your arms will extend straight out forming a triangle. Please review all of the above shooting positions and make sure when you do live fire training you try and practice them. You need to know that if the “stuff” ever hits the fan you’ll quickly be able to drop to a knee and shoot your way out, if need be. Or, if you’re trying to escape an attacker and you fall to the ground you need to have the confidence to know how to quickly draw your gun and defend yourself while lying on your back.
If you’re interested in becoming a highly accurate shooter, and learning how to shoot from all the positions just described, check out the popular “Top Secret” Defensive Pistol course. For complete details go to www.UltimateConceal.com .
Here’s what a few people have to say about the this Defensive Pistol course… The CCA Defensive Pistol course was outstanding! From drilling on the handgun basics to shooting from unconventional positions to participating in reaction drills ! Jason and his staff exceeded expectations!” ~Gerry Kennedy, St. George, UT Jason, first, let me say that the class was absolutely nothing short of excellent. It met my expectations in every way and then some. The atmosphere of the class was very friendly and welcoming while always maintaining the utmost regard to safety and professionalism. I felt that I learned something from each of the instructors & RSOs as wells the other students. The training addressed both the skill and mental aspects of using handguns defensively. I noticed a significant improvement in both my skill level and confidence throughout the day. I have no doubt that I benefited from this class. I certainly look forward to future training opportunities and continuing to grow my skills, experience, and mindset. ~Terence Reston, Baltimore, MD
Jason's defensive pistol course was outstanding and had something for everyone - I heartily recommend it to all. In my class there were those who'd never shot and those with 30+ years experience. My class was enthusiastic afterwards and I expect to see many in the summer for Jason's advanced pistol course." ~Heath Bradford, Salt Lake City, UT “I just completed the CCA Defensive Pistol course led by Jason Hanson, his lovely wife Amanda and his team of range safety officers. As in all the courses I’ve taken with CCA, safety is emphasized in all aspects of the training. The drills were very well structured and designed to build skills and confidence throughout the entire day.
The experience level of the students was varied, from very beginner to advanced and the drills benefited everyone. I walked away from this training with much more confidence, knowledge and skill than I had at the start of the day or that I could ever acquire on my own at a target range . I plan to attend the Advanced CCA Defensive Pistol training and continue this relationship with such a great organization as CCA .” Jerry Ladeau, Las Vegas, NV ~
Moscow Rules Moscow Rules - The ultimate tradecraft methods for use in the most hostile of the operational environments. During the Cold War, Moscow was considered the most difficult of operating environments. In addition to learning how to shoot from various positions, one of the most difficult shooting environments you’ll ever find yourself in, is if you’re forced to shoot one-handed. Now, I’ll admit that one-handed shooting isn’t the most exciting thing to practice. After all, it’s tougher to shoot with one hand and most of us aren’t as accurate this way. However, if you plan on carrying a gun or having one in your home for self-defense purposes it’s important you know how to operate it with just your strong hand or just your support hand. Why? Well, the common theory is that one of your hands may get shot or injured during a gunfight. But from the studies I’ve read this is rarely the case and in fact, it’s usually several other reasons that limit you to only one hand. For instance, perhaps you have to fight off an attacker with one hand while drawing your gun and shooting with the other. Maybe a criminal has gotten way too close to you with a knife and you’re fighting off the knife with one hand and drawing your gun with the other. Another reason you might be shooting with one hand is because the other hand is holding something. When the human body comes under intense pressure our hands literally lock onto what we’re holding. When I was in the police academy many years ago they showed us a training video of an officer serving a search warrant. The officer was carrying the warrant in his right hand and when a gunfight broke out he did not let go of the warrant and was running around with it in his hand. (This is why I always try and avoid carrying anything in my right hand when I’m out and about.) So, if you’re carrying a cup of coffee in your left hand and all the sudden your life is in danger you might not let go of that coffee and might force yourself to shoot one handed. Also, the object in your other hand may be a lot more important than a simple cup of coffee. Perhaps there’s been a shooting and you have to drag somebody away from danger or perhaps you’re carrying your child in one of your arms.
Also, don’t forget that we’re all human and have accidents. When I was a freshman in high school I fell off my bicycle and broke both of my arms because I went flying over the handlebars. I’m sure you’ve broken your fingers or injured your hands once or twice in your life and you never know when this is going to occur. If you happen to break your arm tomorrow I hope you don’t carry your gun until you’ve practiced drawing and shooting with your other hand. When it comes to the actual method of how to shoot one handed there are many schools of thought. But when I do training I prefer two methods and tell people to use the one they’re most comfortable with. In the first shooting position you take the non-shooting hand and cross it over your chest with your hand in a
Shooting left-handed with the gun slightly tilted
Clench your fist and bring it toward your body
The right leg forward is the position the author prefers
Here the right leg is dropped back
fist. (It’s as if you’re pounding yourself in the chest like Tarzan.) The second way to shoot one handed is by clinching your fist together and bringing it toward your body instead of crossing it over your chest. In other words, pretend you’re weight lifting and are doing curls with a barbell to get huge biceps… you would make a fist and curl your arm close to your body. In these positions I like to put my right foot forward (because I’m right handed) to give myself a stronger stance and more power. However, I do know people that drop their shooting foot back when they shoot one handed. Of course, you do what works for you. Also, when it comes to gripping the gun with one hand, squeeze hard, and curl your thumb down on the gun, do not keep it straight. You can also slightly tilt the gun at an angle to make shooting one-handed easier, and this is most often done
when shooting with your support hand. Just remember to do what feels best for you, but either way, next time you’re at the range shoot a few rounds using just one hand.
Counterintelligence and the #1 Secret I Learned at the Agency Counterintelligence: The process of identifying, monitoring, and neutralizing foreign intelligence organizations who are targeting U.S. personnel. At the Agency there are many counterintelligence classes and various trainings we take. The reason for this is because we know the government’s deepest secrets and there are obviously foreign agencies that would love to get g et a hold of this information, just like the U.S. U.S . government tries to get information out of other country’s intelligence officers. For example, online dating is a big concern at the Agency, because the "Russian sex pot" that just happened to email you and now claims to be madly in love with you is probably a 65-year-old foreign agent. Most of this stuff is common sense, but you can never be too careful. There have been instances when an Agency employee wanted to marry someone who was not a U.S. citizen. After the Agency ran a check on the person’s lover, “red flags” were raised and the Agency would not allow the person to marry the foreigner. One particular guy ended up quitting his job so he could marry a foreign woman. The Agency also does counterintelligence activities around the headquarters at Langley. I can't reveal to you the measures the Agency takes but it involves lots of guns, g uns, cameras, and alarms, and it's to prevent instances like the Kanzi shooting. On January 25, 1993, Mir Amal Kanzi pulled up to the stoplight right before you turn onto the Agency compound and he started shooting. Two employees were killed. Kanzi managed to escape on foot and flee the country. He was eventually caught and was put to death by lethal injection in 2002. For a brief period of time I did counterintelligence work at the Director’s residence. (Director of the Central Intelligence Agency). This is where I had to watch out for suspicious persons pe rsons and keep track of any suspicious vehicles. Also, I had to protect the Director against any type of attack and a few other things, which I'm not at liberty to reveal. But, even though Agency employees get screened very carefully and even though there are a lot of counterintelligence measures taken, "bad eggs" egg s" still get through. Two of the most high profile examples are Aldrich Ames and Robert Hansen. Aldrich Ames joined the CIA in 1962. He moved up through the ranks and became the chief of the counterintelligence branch for the East European division within the Directorate of Operations. In 1985 the Russians recruited him, and over the next
eight years he was paid about abo ut $2.5 million for passing along secrets. It is believed that he caused the death of ten Russian agents who were spying on behalf of the U.S. Finally, he was caught in 1994, when a Russian defector helped the FBI track him down. You're probably more familiar with the Robert Hansen case. Hansen joined the FBI in 1976 and also spied for the Russians. In 1979, Hansen began spying and unlike un like Ames, he went to the Russians and offered his services to them. He spied for over 20 years and received a little over a million dollars for the secrets he sold. He was caught in 2001, doing a dead drop at a park in Vienna, VA. Obviously, the Agency performs counterintelligence activities to protect our country and to stop cases such as Ames and Hansen and so that U.S. assets don’t get killed. You too need to be performing “counterintelligence” activities at all times in your life, life, because your counterintelligence activities could keep you and your family alive. Plus, they will hopefully keep you from ever ending up in a gunfight in the first place. In other words, your “counterintelligence” needs to include situational awareness so you’re alert to what is going on around you, instead of having your head buried in a gadget. You see, every weekday morning I run 2 " miles. Since I do a lot of traveling to attend or teach firearms classes I end up running in different places all of the time. The other day I was running in a large city at 6am and I came upon a big black bag sitting in the middle of the sidewalk. As soon as I saw it, I got an uneasy feeling inside my stomach. I quickly ran to the other side of the street to get g et away from it, because I still have in my mind that it could have been a suspect package. Another time when I was running in a city, I saw two large men who were coming toward me on the same sidewalk. These two men started to fan out as I got go t closer to them, trying to make me run between them. I quickly ran wide around one of the men, because I was not about to let myself be forced between two large men who were suspiciously out together at 6am. When I am out running, one of the things that blows my mind is the young women I see carrying their iPods wearing earphones and they have no idea what’s going on around them. When I run past these women in the morning I’ll try to run wide around them, so I don’t startle them. However, oftentimes, I’ll see these girls jump almost three feet in the air when I pass them, and this is not good, since they’re not paying attention to their surroundings. You need to make sure that when you’re out and about you’re not walking around just staring into your cell phone, or typing into your laptop or iPad or whatever gadget you’re playing with at the time. Because if you’re head is buried in some device and you have no clue as to what’s going on around you, you become an easy target for a criminal. Also, it’s not only about being alert to your surroundings. You also need to avoid putting yourself in bad situations in the first place. If there’s some dark alley with a bunch of scary-looking characters in it, don’t go down the alley, but instead take a longer route to wherever you’re headed. If you simply use common sense, and stay alert, then you’ll keep yourself you rself out of a lot of potentially dangerous situations in life. I’ve trained all of my family members on how ho w to have situational awareness, so I promise you anybody can learn this. Sometimes now when I’m out with them and they point out, “Hey Jason, did you see that guy on the corner that was looking suspicious? And he walked back and forth a couple of times?” So my family members are getting really good at this stuff, and I know they won’t be easy targets. I know I’m beating this topic to death, dea th, but it’s that important. When you’re out and about, don’t stare at the ground. Don’t have your head in some stupid stupid electronic device. Also, when I’m at church, I sit in the the back row and I can see the door, which is the only entrance to my church. That way, if
somebody dangerous comes in, I’ll see them and I can react accordingly. In a restaurant, I try to never have my back to the door. Obviously, police officers are familiar with this. They do this all the time. But anyone can. It could be the one thing that saves your life. For instance, I’m sure you’ve heard of legendary gunfighter “Wild Bill” Hickok. Story has it that every time Wild Bill went into a saloon to play poker he always sat in a chair facing the door, because he had a lot of enemies and never wanted to be attacked from behind. Supposedly, his friends were always making fun of him for this and told him he was paranoid. On August 2, 1876, Wild Bill and some of his friends went to play cards in Deadwood and when they arrived at the saloon, one of his friends took Wild Bill’s usual seat. He told Wild Bill to stop being paranoid and nobody was going to come up behind him. Wild Bill asked his friend multiple times if he could have his chair because he couldn’t stand the fact that he couldn’t see the entrance. Again, his friends laughed and told him to stop being paranoid. Well, in the middle of the game, a fellow named Jack McCall strolled into the saloon and shot Wild Bill in the back of the head. He never saw it coming. Hickok died holding a pair of aces and eights and this became known as "A Dead Man's Hand." As this story shows, you can’t afford to make a mistake at being aware of your surroundings. A while back, I spent a lot of time in a dangerous city. There was a close friend of mine who wanted to walk home late at night when she was in school. I used to go pick her up and she would tell me, “No, it’ll never happen to me. I’d be safe walking home.” Well, of course, that’s the worst attitude you could have. Just because it hasn’t happened to you, it doesn’t mean that it won’t. All it takes is one time. The friend of mine could have been raped or murdered. You don’t get a second chance. If you listen to nothing I’ve written so far, if you’re going to carry concealed maybe only 25% of the time, whatever you do, become more alert to your surroundings. Know the dangerous characters on the side of the street. Know if you’re being followed. Watch your mirrors while driving. When I was at the Agency there was multiple times where employees were followed home from work. It never happened to me but it happened to some of my co-workers. But of course, I was always watching my surroundings in case it did. Just make sure that as you’re going through life, you don’t have that dumb attitude which is, “It’ll never happen to me.” It’s a victim attitude. Have the attitude of, “I pray it never happens to me. I’m 99% sure it’s not going to happen to me. But if it does, I’m going to be prepared and ready to take action to defend my life.” By the way, I know for sure, that having situational awareness kept my wife and I from getting robbed in Baltimore, Maryland. Should we ever meet, remind me to tell you how I prevented it.
Debriefing Debriefing – A meeting with an individual or group who have recently participated in a stressful or dangerous event. After any serious “event” at the Agency or after a training exercise we would have a debriefing. They were short and sweet and covered the good, the bad, and the ugly of what had transpired. That’s exactly what I want to do with you right now. First off, I want to thank you for taking the time to read this book, and I want you to know that I have a great deal of respect for you. I respect the fact that you value your life enough to learn how to safely and properly carry a gun to protect your family. Although I have never had to use my gun in self-defense, I can think of nothing worse than watching my family get mowed down by some thug because I wasn’t prepared to stop him. I realize the chances of that happening are one in a million, but that means there’s still a chance. Of course, you shouldn’t only read just this book about concealed carry and personal protection. For the rest of your life you should continue to learn about the best ways to protect your family, to make sure each of you are on this earth for a very long time. Plus, who knows how our world is going to look in 50 years, and what’s going to happen to society thanks to our government and the national debt. Before I go, one final story. Recently, I was teaching the Ultimate Concealed Carry Experience when a woman approached me and told me she had decided buy her first gun because she lived in a bad neighborhood and had been raped twice. I told her I thought it was a great idea to get a gun to protect herself and to let me know how I could help her. Now, I have no idea how horrible it is to be raped. But I want to tell you again, what I told you earlier in this book. According to police studies, if a rapist tries to rape a woman he is successful 30% of the time. However, if the person is armed, the rapist is successful only 3% of the time. If you have a gun, there’s a 97% chance the rapist will not succeed. So, if you have a loved one or family member who thinks that guns aren’t necessary, I encourage you to pass this book along to them. It could very
well save their life one day and keep them from realizing they need a gun after a criminal takes advantage of them and seriously injures or kills them. Lastly, please continue to stay safe, be aware of your surroundings, and never stop learning about your safety. Also, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you or your family.
Bonus How to Safely Clear Your Home When You Think There's an Intruder (This article was previously published in Concealed Carry Magazine.) My lazy beagle Toby was loudly barking, as I’d never heard him before. Usually I would have waited a minute or two to see if I heard any footsteps, strange noises, or a window breaking, but I didn’t have time to spare. My mother, who had cancer, was bedridden on the couch on the main floor of our house and I needed to get to her before a potential intruder did. I cleared the house as quickly and safely as I could, and my mother was fine. I never found out what Toby was barking at that night, but I have no doubt he scared away a burglar. Having my mother restricted to the main floor of the house made it necessary to leave my bedroom that night and make sure she was okay. However, if it’s 3:00 a.m. and you hear a window break or you know someone is trying to enter your house, the last thing you want to do is leave your bedroom to go and confront the person. In the ideal world you would get your family together into your designated safe room (such as your master bedroom) and wait there until the police arrive. Of course, we don’t live in an ideal world. Perhaps you’re like I was and you have a family member living on the first floor or even in the basement. If this is the case you have no choice but to leave your bedroom; therefore it’s necessary for you to know how to safely clear your house. If you’ve ever seen the police clear a house, you know they always go in with a minimum of two people. But you and I likely won’t have the choice to grab someone else at 3:00 a.m. to come help us, so here’s how you properly clear a house by yourself, even though it’s a dangerous situation you want to try to avoid at all costs. First off, if you hear a noise in the middle of the night and you need to clear your house, you had better be able to take one or two steps from your bed and have access to your gun, which should be “cocked and locked.” In other words, the gun should have a round in the chamber so all you have to do is pull the trigger to shoot. Right next to your gun should be your flashlight. I use a SureFire G2X Tactical light. Many houses have enough ambient light for you to maneuver around without the need to have the flashlight on all of the time, so just use it for target identification purposes so you don’t accidentally shoot the wrong person. (Also, read Tom Givens’ excellent article Flashlight Techniques for Home Defense in the July 2011 issue of CCM.) Once you’ve got your gun and light, it’s time to leave the bedroom. If you’ve got a traditional house, you’ll likely end up entering a hallway. Stay close to the wall on the one side of the hallway and avoid walking down the middle, so you minimize your outline and make yourself less of a target. As you slowly move down the hallway you’ll probably come across a bedroom or bathroom door. What should you do? If you’ve got a family member living in the basement and time is important, and you’re pretty sure nobody made it upstairs, then just move on past the door. I know this isn’t tactically correct, but we’re talking about a real life scenario here. If you’ve got your daughter sleeping in the basement, then no parent is going to take the time to clear every upstairs bedroom when they hear an intruder on the first floor or proceeding down the basement stairs.
However, if you don’t have to rush downstairs, you’ll certainly want to check the room ahead. But before you attempt to open the door (or any door in your house for that matter) you need to pull the gun close to your body so the inside of your wrist is practically touching your rib cage. In other words, instead of having your arm fully extended, your elbow should be bent about 90 degrees. This position gives you more control over the firearm in case someone was to try and reach for it. Another reason you
When standing next to the door have gun close to your body
Slightly lean out when clearing a room
bring the gun in close is so that you don’t accidentally point the gun at your other hand while it’s opening the door.
Assuming the door you’ve approached is on your right, you’ll want to stand against the right side wall, with your gun close to your body, while reaching for the doorknob with your other hand. (Do not stand in the doorway. You should be reaching across while remaining against the wall.) If the door opens away from you then turn the doorknob and give the door a solid push and immediately take a step backward against the right side wall again. If the door opens towards you, pull the door swiftly towards you and again take a step backward. Once you’ve opened the door it’s time to “slice the pie.” This is a method used to clear corners and doorway entrances where you clear each area in small slices. For instance, if you had just pushed your door open and stepped back you would be standing against the right side wall. Obviously, from this position you can’t see into the entire room and you certainly don’t want to take a step into the doorway and fully expose yourself. So, you would begin to take small side-steps in a semi-circular motion. In other words, if you’re on the right side of the door, you’ll end up on the left side by going in a wide semi-circle around the doorway entrance. Each time you take a side-step, have your body slightly lean in the direction you’re headed so that if an intruder is in the room they will see the muzzle of your gun first and the rest of your body won’t be exposed. Each time you take a step, give a brief pause so that you can scan as much of the room as possible and you can determine if that part of the room is clear. Once you end up on the left side of the door, you’ve done as much as you can to clear the room from the outside. Also, I realize slicing the pie may seem confusing, so please refer to the diagrams I created, which should make this process clearer. Now that it’s time to enter the room, you’ll want to quickly step through the doorway and move to the opposite corner. For instance, if you’re entering the doorway from the left side, move to the right corner and give a quick look over your shoulder to make sure nobody’s hiding in the left corner. Don’t
Take small steps when “slicing the pie”
Remember to have patience when clearing a corner
forget to check all places an intruder could be hiding such as under a bed, in a closet, under a desk or under any other large object. Once you’re satisfied the room is clear it’s time to continue moving through your house. The next obstacle you’ll run into is the stairs. But before you just stand at the top of the stairs and make yourself an easy target, you’ll want to slice the pie just as you did with the doorway so you can make sure nobody is waiting at the bottom of the stairs to attack you. Again, start on one side of the wall and take small steps in a semi-circle so you can see a little bit more of the stairs each time. Once you do a full scan of the stairs, make your way down, while at the same time scanning everything you can see. The stairs are a nightmare because you’ve likely got a room entrance at the bottom of the stairs to your left and then you’ve got a large hallway to your right with a number of openings too. Since there is no way to see into the room on the left while going down the stairs, try and scan as much of the hallway to your right as possible. Once you get to the bottom, slice the pie for the room on your left while constantly glancing over your shoulder to see if anyone is approaching on your right. As you can see, it would be very easy to get ambushed while going down the stairs (which is just one of the many reasons police officers always go in teams of at least two while clearing a house). You’ll clear the rest of your main floor just as you cleared your top floor when first leaving your bedroom. Every time you come to a corner or a door, you’ll want to slice the pie so you’ll hopefully see the bad guy before he sees you. If you have a basement, you’ll systematically clear it the same way too. Also, remember to have patience throughout this entire process. Each time you take a semi-circular step around a corner or doorway entrance, pause and scan the area from the floor to the ceiling. Perhaps most importantly, since clearing a house is such a dangerous activity, you need to practice it as often as you can. For example, last month I got back from a ten day vacation in Utah. I knew my house was secure and no alarms had gone off,
My lovely wife showing how to keep the gun close to the body
My clearing tools of choice
however, when I got back to my house from the airport I didn’t just rush in and plop myself down on the couch. Instead, I opened my front door and took a step back and sliced the pie. Next, I cleared my entire house to make sure it was empty. Not only is this good practice, but I had been gone for ten days, so there’s always a possibility someone could have been hiding in my house. Another good activity is to practice clearing the house with your spouse or kids. Tell them to go hide somewhere and play a fun game of hide and seek. When you’re searching for them you’ll want to pay attention to see if they see you first or you see them first. Also, if you’re slicing the pie, have them point out the moment they see you or what body part they see first. This will help determine if you’re doing it correctly--the muzzle of the gun is the first thing they should see, not your legs. Obviously, if
you do play this game, don’t go around with a real gun. Use your finger or use a plastic training gun instead. Again, I can’t emphasize enough that clearing a house by yourself is the last thing you want to do. If you still don’t believe me, and you’re the macho type with a huge ego, then play the hide and seek game I mentioned above. After your spouse has surprised and “killed” you for the tenth time, you’ll fully realize that if possible, waiting in your safe room wh ile the police clear the house is the much smarter option.
A Letter to My (Unborn) Daughter About Buying Her First Gun PREFACE: My wife and I recently found out she’s pregnant with our first child. She’s three months along and we don’t know the sex yet, however, I’m convinced it’s a girl. The other day I sat down and wrote a letter to my unborn daughter about one of the most important topics a father could share with his daughter: How to buy her first handgun. I wanted to pass this along to every woman who’s wondered about how to buy her first gun.
Dear S., You’re probably wondering why I started this letter calling y ou “S.” The reason is because other people may see this and your mother tells me some women are “catty” and will steal your name so I have to call you S for now. Anyway, the reason I’m writing this letter is because I just had the brilliant idea that I needed to write to you about choosing your first gun. Hopefully, this brilliant idea will go a little better than when I decided to clean the shotgun on moms couch and got oil all over it. By the way, when you’re married and your husband does something stupid and afterwards you ask him “what were you thinking?” The truth is, he probably wasn’t thinking very much. So save yourself the time, because you will be disappointed in the answer. But let’s get back to the topic at hand. Since you’re about three months along in your mom’s belly, you and I have never met, so let me quickly tell you about your old man. I spent a short amount of time with a local police department in Virginia, then spent several years with the C.I.A., and I now run a firearms training company. I also enjoy writing and write for a few gun magazines such as Concealed Carry, Personal and Home Defense, and Combat Handguns. I tell you this because I want you to know that your old man is a firearms and personal protection expert… But also because, as you’ll see later on, I don’t have expertise in much else. Hopefully, being raised by me you’ll realize the importance of getting a gun to protect yourself and you’ll be just as excited as I am to get you your first gun. I want you to know that I’ll hopefully be around to protect you as often as I can, but I won’t always be there, so you need to learn how to protect yourself. You see, although your mother knows that if someone breaks into our house at night I will handle it, there are many times I am out of town training people and I am thankful she knows how to use a gun and take care of herself. In other words, you cannot solely rely on others for your safety, such as the man in your life. You need to take personal responsibility for yourself. Especially, because by the time you read this, maybe 10 or 15 or 20 years from now, who knows what the world will be like. So when it comes to buying your first gun, I’m going to pretend like you’re doing this all by yourself or with your husband. Why? Well, hopefully I’ll be around but you never know what life has in store. So I want to make sure that if I have to leave this earth a little earlier than I anticipated, you’ll know the right way to buy a gun on your own. First off, be very careful who you trust when buying your first gun. You want to talk to a REAL firearms expert. Unfortunately, far too many people think they’re experts when it comes to
guns. What I mean is, if you’re buying a gun with a boyfriend or a husband (who is not a gun expert) I would ignore pretty much everything he has to say. You see honey, men like to pretend we are experts about everything. The other day your mom wanted to know why our hot water heater was making a strange noise and I told her it was no big deal and was just a valve. The fact is, I don’t know anything at all about hot water heaters. I don’t even know if they have valves. But for some reason when a woman asks her husband about something he just spouts out a bunch of nonsense because he thinks he’s supposed to know the answer. I do the same thing when your mom asks me why the car is making a weird noise. I don’t know anything about cars, except how to change the oil, but my answer to everything is “it’s just the radiator, no big deal.” So if you can’t trust your husband or boyfriend, who can you trust? Well, that’s the problem. You don’t know a crooked mechanic unless you’re a mechanic yourself. After all, when I take the car to the service station I have no idea if the guy is telling me the truth until I call up your grandpa who actually knows about cars. So, what I want you to do is ask your mom to get a hold of some of my old Agency buddies. She’ll know how to contact them and they’ll take care of you. But if for some reason you must go about this alone, the first thing you want to do is go to a gun range and rent several guns to see which one you like best. When you get to the gun range and the guy behind the counter finds out you’re in search of a new gun, do not listen to a word he says. He is even worse than your husband or boyfriend. And if you bring your husband or boyfriend along you’ve just multiplied the stupidity. It’s like a bunch of guys staring at the engine of a car with the hood up. One guy will say it’s the fan belt and the rest of them will be like “yep,” “yep,” and “yep.” So if the gun guy behind the counter tells you that you need a new “Super Duper .45 semiauto” your husband will probably nod in agreement because he wants to pretend he knows as much as the gun store guy, who in reality, probably doesn’t know much at all. Also, if the gun store guy treats you rudely, please don’t let it bother you. They do it to all of us, both men and women. I’m pretty sure most gun store employees washed out of the military, got kicked out of a police academy or could never become FBI or CIA, so they are bitter about life and try to bring others down to their level. Just remember to ignore them because the majority of them don’t know much about guns. So, when you’re at the gun range, just start renting one gun at a time and tune out the advice of your husband and gun store employee. I would rent guns made by Glock, Smith and Wesson, Sig Sauer, and Ruger, to name a few. I would also try renting both semi-autos and revolvers. Both semi-autos and revolvers are excellent for personal protection. Yes, semi-autos hold more rounds, but revolvers are simpler to use and you don’t have to worry about malfunctions. Either way, you can’t go wrong, so find what you like best. However, if I were you, I would not get a caliber lower than 9mm in a semi-auto and .38 Special in a revolver. In fact, the handguns your old man uses for concealed carry right now are a Glock 19, which is a 9mm semi-auto, and the revolver I use is a Smith & Wesson 642 Airweight, which is a .38 Special. The important thing I want you to remember is that the gun should feel comfortable in your hand and your finger should easily reach the trigger. But in order to know if the gun is comfortable in your hand you need to know how to properly grip it. So let me show you how to do that right now.
Whether you’re shooting a semi-auto or revolver, you want to place the gun in the center of the web of your hand. (I included some pictures at the end to help you out.) Then, you want to grip high on the tang of the gun. This means you want to grip as high up on the gun as possible, just beneath the slide if you’re shooting a semi-auto. (The slide is the metal piece which recoils back after you shoot the gun.) This high grip makes recoil easier to manage and gives you better control over the gun. Next, you need to add your support hand. To do this, simply point the thumb of your support hand at an imaginary target in front of you. By pointing your thumb straight at the target your fingers should be pointed down at a 45 degree angle. You then bring the two hands together and create the “thumbs forward” shooting position (Again, see the pictures honey.) You want to make sure that you have a lot of flesh on the gun and that the palm of your support hand is firmly pressed against side of the gun. However, the “thumbs forward” position is only for semi-automatic handg uns. When shooting a revolver you want to grip high on the gun, but your thumbs will curl down on top of each other as you grip the gun. By the way, some concealed carry guns you might be interested in (if they’re still around) are the Glock 26, Ruger SR9, and Smith and Wesson M&P compact. And in regards to a revolver, you should check out the Smith & Wesson Model 10. You can buy them used right now (the year 2012) for under $300. But here’s the thing: If you don’t like any of those guns and they don’t feel right to you, then don’t buy one. Take as long as you need to until you find a gun that you feel comfortable shooting. In fact, even though I would get guns chambered in 9mm or .38 Special that doesn’t mean you have to, if you can’t stand shooting them. Although I wouldn’t recommend it, if the only gun you’ll carry is a .22 revolver, then it’s better than no gun at all. Please have patience with this process.To make it easy on you, you could go to your local shooting range every Saturday and rent two guns until you find one that’s right for you. It may take you a month or two, but your life is worth it to find the right gun you’re willing to carry. I want to remind you again, that you will be the one carrying this gun. Not your husband or the gun store guy. So forget about what they think and do not let them intimidate you. All that matters is that you are comfortable with the gun and that it’s a good fit for your hand. Because if you forget this part, you will end up like far too many women I see at my pistol courses. I see these poor women who are shooting a snub-nosed .357 and they tell me that they hate shooting. I then ask why in the world they are using that gun and they tell me their husband got it for them and I think to myself, “no wonder you hate shooting, that’s a terrible gun for you.” Well, that’s enough for now honey. I love you, even though I haven’t met you yet. I really look forward to helping you buy your first gun. But if I’m not there, please re-read this before you go gun shopping. Because it may save your life one day since you’ll be carrying a gun you like, instead of having a gun sitting at home that you hate, which your husband talked you into buying. Love, Dad
P.S. If you marry a guy who’s into guns – and why wouldn’t you, most of them are perfect - you should encourage him to buy as many guns as he wants, and should never complain that he already owns 10 guns that look exactly like the one he just bought. P.P.S. To others who are reading this letter: Please see the pictures in this book about how to properly grip a handgun.
About the Author Jason R. Hanson is a former CIA Officer who now runs the Concealed Carry Academy and teaches Americans how to confidently protect themselves and their loved ones. He is an NRA certified instructor and Eagle Scout. Jason is also a contributing writer to Concealed Carry Magazine, Combat Handguns Magazine, and Personal and Home Defense Magazine, to name a few. He welcomes your comments, and can be reached by phone at 801-512-2545, by fax at 888-251-0284, or by visiting www.UltimateConceal.com.
